Thanks for the answers, guys.

What I had to think of is: what's the catch with Minneapolis then? It can't be as perfect as you and the wikipedia page tell it is

Also, as a contrast to the "Minnesota nice", there is in fact a counterpart in Finland that is often praised by foreigners. Often people describe it as "what you see is what you get", and what that means is that when someone says something, he actually means it. That is actually something I really do like - not having to doubt people when they 'promise' something - almost anything you say is interpreted as a promise and not fulfilling that, you can easily get a stigma of being either straightout a liar or someone whose word cannot be trusted.

The social security and bureaucracy probably do go hand in hand, and cannot be avoided. Maybe the problem I experience is that Finland emphasizes on punishing students while supporting those permanently unemployed

Finland can sure be nice, especially outside the capital area during the summer. However, most people live in that area and rarely see the 'majestic lakes and forests' outside holidays if even during those. And outside those four weeks of summer, I really do feel like this is the promised land of alcoholism and depression. Example A: this OP.