Santa Claus’s Christmas interview
A wonderful surprise on December 24: despite his busiest time of the year, Santa Claus agreed to be our guest on the last podcast of 2022. In the 10 minutes of his interview I asked him:
About Santa and Sustainability
I’m a huge proponent of clean energy. I have to be, look at where we live, right up at the North Pole and having magical reindeer, that helps to be able to fly everywhere with reindeer power. But, you know, that does only work on Christmas Eve. The rest of the year I take conventional transportation and I do try to make ecologically sound choices for sure.
About All the Cookies he gets from
I do love the outpouring that people give, the gifts that they leave for me, that’s a wonderful, wonderful thing. And I’ll tell you what I’ve done for the last seven weeks, getting ready for the big season, I’ve been doing intermittent fasting. I don’t know if anybody’s heard about that, but I’m eating 8 hours and then I’m taking 16 hours and I’m not eating at all.
About how Santa builds trust
Being reliable definitely helps build trust, and I’ve been reliable for a lot of years, but I do think there’s a bit more to it than that. Over the years, people have also learned that I have good judgment. I don’t always deliver people exactly what they ask for. Sometimes I read between the lines, I look a little deeper and they usually find out that, hey, this isn’t exactly what I asked for, but I even like it better than what I asked for. So I think part of it is being reliable. Part of it is having good judgment. But it’s allowed me to build a lot of trust over the years, I think.
About children who are not as lucky
I’ll tell you, that is a real concern. Fortunately, people are so amazing. All over the world, we have not-for-profit organizations or organizations that are dedicated to helping people. The biggest one in the world is United Way Worldwide. They bring in over $5 billion to help needy families and deserving families worldwide. And there are so many other St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the United States and many others. They bring in billions of dollars. So I do what I can. But fortunately we have a lot of Santa’s helpers around the world, making the world a little bit of a better place, for sure.
Read the transcript of the interview with Santa Claus
Listen to what Santa Claus wishes us all for 2023
Trust is the invisible force that shapes our world, and at TrustTalk, we’re committed to exploring its many dimensions. Join us as we engage with thought leaders from all walks of life to discuss the role of trust in every aspect of our world. From personal relationships to business, technology, society, and beyond, we explore the wonders of this essential human emotion. It’s a journey you won’t want to miss.
Our guest today is Henry Brady, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at UC Berkeley, California, about the decline of trust in American institutions. Henry explains that trust in key sectors, such as the military, media, and higher education, has been steadily eroding since the 1970s, influenced by events like the Vietnam War, Watergate, economic inequality, and political polarization. He discusses how different events and historical contexts have led to varying levels of trust in these institutions, noting that while trust in the military has fluctuated due to wars and national crises, trust in other institutions has generally declined due to broader societal changes.
He also examines the growing polarization of trust along party lines, with Democrats and Republicans displaying contrasting levels of trust in institutions like the media, police, and higher education. This polarization complicates efforts to address institutional reform and governance, making it harder to find common ground. He emphasizes how declining trust affects daily life, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, where mistrust in public health institutions led to widespread misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.
Henry highlights the role of economic inequality in eroding trust, arguing that rising inequality and increasing diversity have fostered a sense of distrust and division among Americans. To rebuild trust, he advocates for stronger local media, improved civic education, and initiatives like citizens’ assemblies that encourage dialogue and understanding across divides. He also emphasizes the importance of addressing systemic issues to build trust at a societal level, suggesting that focusing on fairness, institutional performance, and civic engagement is key to fostering a more trusting society.
As the discussion concludes, Henry reflects on the challenges facing young researchers studying trust. He suggests that while there is some understanding of how to build trust on an individual level, more research is needed on how to foster trust on a larger, societal scale. His insights offer a thoughtful exploration of the complexities surrounding trust in American democracy and potential strategies for rebuilding it.