Lucas Meijs is referenced in this examination of volunteer activities and habits in the Netherlands. In a country of 4.5 million volunteers, many organisations in the Netherlands and, by extension, the effective functioning of Dutch society are dependent on volunteers by a significant measure, Professor Meijs says. He also argues that volunteer work is far from a purely selfless activity. More often the real reasons for volunteering, Professor Meijs says, are that "...people want social acknowledgement, [and they want to] get to know other people."