Molly Young's visit to Finland, often dubbed the 'happiest country on earth,' during the bleak month of February, highlighted the contrast between the country's reputed happiness and the stark realities of its cold, colorless winter. Despite Finland's top ranking in the World Happiness Report, Young's experiences, including a visit to a sauna and interactions with locals, revealed a deeper, more nuanced understanding of happiness beyond mere affective joy. The report's reliance on the Cantril Ladder, a simplistic measure of happiness, fails to capture the complex realities and contentment derived from Finland's societal structure and cultural practices. Young's journey through Finland's libraries and saunas exposed the cultural emphasis on community and shared norms, contrasting sharply with her perceptions of life in the U.S. The trip, while initially meant to explore happiness, ultimately led to a reflection on cultural differences and the varying definitions of happiness across societies.

Finland has consistently topped the World Happiness Report, which uses the Cantril Ladder to gauge happiness, a method that simplifies complex emotions into a single numerical scale. This ranking has prompted Finland to promote 'happiness tourism,' focusing on cultural elements like saunas and nature.

Young's visit during Finland's winter, a season devoid of color, challenged the notion of happiness by contrasting the joyless weather with the country's high happiness ranking. Her encounters with locals, like Mikko Tirronen, highlighted a cultural acceptance of the bleak winter as part of life.

The Cantril Ladder, a central component of the World Happiness Report, asks respondents to rate their lives on a scale from 0 to 10. This method, while straightforward, fails to capture the complexities and subjective nature of happiness, raising questions about the validity of such rankings.

Finland's sauna culture, a significant aspect of its happiness narrative, emphasizes communal experiences and relaxation. Young's experiences in saunas like Löyly and Kotiharjun revealed a cultural practice that values the process of relaxation and community over individual gains.

Young's visit to Helsinki's Oodi library showcased Finland's dedication to communal spaces that foster social cohesion and inclusivity. The library's design and facilities reflect a societal commitment to providing accessible public resources, contrasting with her experiences in American libraries.

Through her observations, Young noted the differences in societal behavior between Finland and the U.S., such as adherence to rules and public behavior, which she attributed to Finland's cultural emphasis on communal well-being and social responsibility.

Young's reflections on happiness and cultural differences underscored the limitations of the World Happiness Report in capturing the nuanced realities of happiness, suggesting that contentment in Finland is rooted in societal structures and cultural practices rather than transient emotions.