The Psychology Podcast The Gentle Power of Sisu w/Dr. Elisabet Lahti
45 snips
Nov 6, 2025 
Dr. Elisabet Lahti, an applied psychology researcher and founder of the Sisu Lab, dives deep into the Finnish concept of sisu—an embodiment of resilience and courage. She shares her personal journey, detailing how adversity shaped her research. Lahti highlights the everyday moments of choosing courage, contrasting sisu with grit, and discussing the concept of 'gentle power.' She provides a framework to develop one's sisu muscles and advocates for integrating strength with compassion, emphasizing how this can bolster mental health and societal well-being.
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Sisu As Embodied Fortitude
- Sisu is a 500-year-old Finnish concept meaning inner fortitude or "the fire in the belly" during crisis.
- It activates when people reach perceived limits and find a deeper reserve to continue.
Turning Trauma Into Research
- Dr. Elisabet Lahti escaped an abusive relationship that became physically violent and began a long healing journey.
- That trauma sparked her research question: how do humans overcome extreme adversity and use it as fuel for growth?
The 1,500-Mile Reframe
- Lahti trained two years to run 1,500 miles across New Zealand as part of her PhD and activism campaign.
- She combined endurance running with community events to reframe survivors as strong rather than weak.
