instinct \in|stingkt\, n. a natural or innate impulse, inclination or tendency.

As young children we compete for the most useful resource available - our parents’ attention. When we fail to get noticed we release a powerful and effective weapon: the temper tantrum. This invariably gets them their parent's attention. But when the parent plays only with the younger child things are quite different. The older sibling is far more likely to try to impress by following the rules, patiently waiting their turn, offering to help with the game, or even simply saying "I love you".

None of us would hesitate to help someone who has had a bad fall. And it’s this same instinctive reaction which often leads to feats of great heroism. We all feel empathy when we see someone else in trouble. Mirror neurons in our brains may help us mimic the actions and emotions of others. We intuitively pick up others’ emotions from the expressions on their faces and our instincts for language mean we can explain ourselves in ways no other animals can. But we are even more than the sum of our instincts. We reason and we choose - this makes me feel human.

In the terrible disaster at the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001 two men found they too had the drive to be humans. Mike Benfante and John Cerqueira helped carry wheelchair bound Tina Hansen to safety. In the midst of the chaos, John and Mike were spurred on by the instincts we all share to help others. But their extraordinary heroism also reveals strength of character that instinct alone cannot explain.