Jason Heale
Auckland, July 18, 2024
Here is a little brain teaser for you.
Picture a pile of sand. Take away one grain. Is it still a pile?
Remove another. And another. When does it stop being a pile? Known as the Sorites paradox, this head-scratcher has kept philosophers up at night for centuries.
But this ancient puzzle has a modern application. It raises a pressing question in our globalised world: How do we define a Kiwi?
As we grapple with this quandary, we may need a slightly different approach that relies less on hard markers like birthplace or years spent here and more on a kind of essence.
Kiwis settled overseas
I can think of at least three famous people born here who spent their formative years in other countries (Russell Crowe, Rosé from BlackPink, and Lulu Sun) that we claim them as our own. But should we, and how much stock should we put in their self-identification (or lack thereof)?
What about the reverse? Individuals who grew up in other countries made a conscious decision to move here and become citizens. This seems more straightforward.
Now, let us ponder another, more complex question: Are we seeking national validation and recognition on the global stage? Why is it that as soon as someone achieves fame, we feel the urge to associate them with us? Is it so that people can recognise us when we travel overseas? Is it so they won’t confuse us with Australia?
Perhaps the very act of questioning this impulse is quintessentially Kiwi. After all, aren’t we known for our self-deprecating humour? Instead of fixating on how others perceive us, we should focus on what makes New Zealand unique.
Instead of judging someone’s influence or fame, we should consider what they have given to this great country. Now, one does not exclude the other. Plenty of world-beaters have also worked tirelessly to improve our nation.
Sometimes, they did both at the same time.
Sheppard, Rutherford and Ihimaera
Think of Kate Sheppard, who helped us become the first nation to give all women the right to vote. Or The Father of Nuclear Physics Lord Ernest Rutherford, considered to be the greatest scientist since Newton or Witi Ihimaera, who is regarded as “one of the world’s leading indigenous writers.”
Instead of trying to solve our version of the Sorites paradox, where we calculate how much time a person has to have spent in New Zealand before we can claim them, why not use what I call “The Blindfold Test?” Imagine you walk into a room with a blindfold on. How could you tell the people around you are Kiwis?
More than just our charming accent and a lot of “yeah, nah, yeah,” you would hear a laid-back, conciliatory approach to life. You would hear people who are practical, pragmatic, and believe there is no problem too big to solve.
More than Self-Declaration
Being a Kiwi runs deeper than fame or self-declaration. Just as removing grains of sand from a pile does not have a clear tipping point, defining Kiwi identity is not about drawing hard lines. It is about embodying the spirit of our nation.
This spirit is found in the day-to-day lives of those who call New Zealand home.
It is in the attitude that meets challenges with optimism. It is innovative thinking that turns limitations into opportunities.
These qualities define us, making us stand tall on the world stage not because of individual fame but because of our collective character.
Editor’s Note: The Sorites Paradox originated in an ancient puzzle that appears to be generated by vague terms with unclear (blurred or fuzzy) boundaries of application. ‘Bald,’ ‘Heap,’ ‘Tall’, ‘Old’, and ‘Blue’ are prime examples of vague terms: no clear line divides people who are bald from people who are not, or blue objects from green (hence not blue), or old people from middle-aged (hence not old).
Because the predicate ‘Heap’ has unclear boundaries, it seems that no single grain of wheat can make the difference between a number of grains that does, and a number that does not, make a heap.
Therefore, since one grain of wheat does not make a heap, it follows that two grains do not; and if two do not, then three do not; and so on. This reasoning leads to the absurd conclusion that no number of grains of wheat make a heap.”
The same form of reasoning is familiar in everyday life.
Dorothy Edgington observes: “There is the ‘Mañana Paradox’: the unwelcome task which needs to be done, but it is always a matter of indifference whether it is done today or tomorrow; The Dieter’s Paradox: I don’t care at all about the difference to my weight one chocolate will make.
Jason Heale is the Communications Manager of the Auckland-based Maxim Institute, an independent think tank working to promote the dignity of every person in New Zealand by standing for Freedom, Justice, Compassion, and Hope.
