Status: Working
Type: Borrowed / translated from Finnish
Sisu: The inner strength to keep acting with resilience and perseverance when a situation is difficult and the way forward is uncertain.[1]
It gives a name to resolve in motion—not merely feeling brave or hopeful, but continuing when encouragement, certainty, and visible progress are in short supply.
A Finnish word associated with resilience, perseverance, courage, and inner strength. Its root implies “inner” or “inside,” which helps explain translations such as “guts.”[2]
After a difficult career transition, someone keeps making calls, revising applications, and learning from rejection—not because success feels imminent, but because the work still needs doing.
The Finnish national site describes sisu as a combination of resilience and perseverance, while emphasizing that no single English word fully captures it.[1]
Working concept · evolving in public