Christmas speech of the Governor 2009

Distinguished fellow citizens,

All of us are familiar with kindness. We all have, at one time or another, opened a door for a stranger, visited someone in the hospital, or helped someone whose car has broken down on the side of the road.

Some of us were maybe somewhat motivated by a sense of obligation, or the good feeling that comes from helping another, or the expectation that later someone would help us in turn.

Few of us however can say that what motivated us was pure altruism, only concern for another’s well-being, and nothing more, without the expectation of reward. 

One of these altruistic people is a woman we will call Martha.

Martha had a family of her own, complete with husband and children.  She became aware of a young mother who was not able to care for her two children.  Martha started to help out and care for these children.  She fed them, taught them, comforted them, disciplined them.  Ultimately she took them into her home. The children grew older, called her “Oma” and returned the love Martha had for them.  Today, many years later, the two children are finishing high school, are involved in community activities and are well on their way to becoming productive members of our society. Martha was never motivated by how she could benefit from this situation.  She simply looked at the faces of these children, was moved with compassion, had empathy for them and gave of her self to benefit another.

Now, when we hear that story, and it is a true story, some of us may be inspired to change the world with similar acts of sacrifice. Others hear that story and think “I can’t imagine doing that.” The truth is that you don’t need to raise two children off the street or give all your money away; if the story of Martha inspires you to bring a meal over to your lonely neighbour or buy gifts for the children of the poor family down the street or simply let someone into your lane of traffic, that is enough.

Some people are afraid to give up something, without receiving anything in return. They presume that the slogan “survival of the fittest” is true and that this is the road to success.  They wonder if it is smart to give up some of their own fitness, for the fitness of another. The fearful may think that the fittest survive, but the truth is that the fearlessly generous will succeed!

Are rewards wrong then? The truth is, there always is a reward. The essential difference between egoism and altruism is motive. Egoistic people will sometimes help, but they want to ensure that there is a reward.  Altruistric people help, expecting nothing in return. They will also receive a reward, but unexpectedly.

The truth is that altruism works. What hasn't been understood until recently is that we can actually do better for ourselves by being cooperative and altruistic than we can by selfishly refusing to help others. An example is where designers of computer software do not keep their research data secret, they do not fearfully protect their discoveries, but they share their findings and make programs freely available to use and to improve upon.

A recent press release from Dartmouth University has supposedly confirmed the power of altruism on wikipedia, the open source encyclopedia, where people contribute, without any benefit to themselves. This is another example of moving from survival to success.

Altruism works not only in business, but also in relationships. Research at Nottingham University shows that the presence of altruism and charity is a major factor when people choose a partner.  It makes you attractive!

Altruists choose to align their well-being with others - so they are happy when others thrive, sad when others are suffering. There was a time that certain psychologists and philosophers thought that true altruism does not exist.  They thought that there was always an ulterior motive.  The latest research shows that altruism has been hardwired into us; it's right there in the genes.  We are designed to be social, cooperative, altruistic.  This inborn altruism is especially noticeable in people with high levels of empathy.

Truth is that the altruistic act of one individual is contagious; empathy and kindness spread like a wave.

One of the nicest expressions in the Papiamento language is “di nada”, it’s no bother, at your service. Let us promote the spirit of community  and cooperation by helping people “di nada”. Is there any better time to start, than with Christmas?

Merry Christmas!