After spending all these years on earth, it should come as no surprise to us that all our actions, behaviors, and emotions affect the world. Things and people around us cannot live in their isolated bubbles. Even if someone says they love being alone, they can’t be on their own at all times. It wasn’t possible before either but capitalism has made sure that we come in contact with each other on regular basis. If shopping confuses you, you can order online and avoid having to face people. But you will still interact with the person coming to deliver your package. If you thank them and wish them happy holidays, there is a high chance you will instantly improve the quality of their day. And if they are polite in return, you will get a smile on your face too. This is an example of a pretty simple interaction but even that can affect humans.
When people say they are becoming like their parents, it is just the qualities they had absorbed in their childhood coming out of them. The same way, siblings influence us more than they realize just like we affect them without noticing. The more time you spend with someone, the bigger their influence on you will be. But it is not easy for one person to influence a group. If someone has that power, they become a leader. However, leaders who have influenced a large number of people were only a few in history.
Finland and Sweden:
From late 13th century to the beginning of 19th century, Finland remained under Swedish rule. It started as a result of the Crusades. The Swedish colonization of Finland’s coastal areas made things worse for the Finns who had to give up their fishing rights in the end. In the end, it was a war between Russia and Sweden that ended up getting Finland its rights. During the course of these five centuries, the Finns adopted and absorbed a lot of qualities of the Swedish culture. All aspects of their private lives were affected by the Swedes in one way or another. In many cases, the Swedes didn’t even know the way they were influencing the culture of the Finns.
Dutch, Norwegian, and Swedish may be mutually intelligible but that won’t help you march if you are trying to understand Finland and its people. Studying the history of a place, however, can teach you a lot about its residents and the kind of live they world. Once you know their history, and as you grow older, you will begin to understand them more and more. The way that the Finns have kept their language safe is truly remarkable.
