The Six Degree of Separation?

Six degrees of separation is the theory that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries. This theory supports the notion that anyone can form a chain of personal contacts leading to any other person, with no more than six links in the chain. Nearly everyone has heard of this idea, thanks to John Guare’s 1990 play “Six Degrees of Separation” and the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” game that became popular in the late 1990s. This game is based on in serious sociological research and there are on-going efforts to scientifically authenticate its veracity.

The theory was first proposed in 1929 by the Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy in a short story called "Chains." In 1967, American sociologist Stanley Milgram devised a new way to test the theory, which he called "the small-world problem" to prove this interconnectedness. Though his findings became contentious perhaps because it was administered on a small scale it has, nonetheless gained worthy public attention lately. While the exact number of links between people may differ depending on the population measured and the types of links used, it is generally found to be relatively small. Hence, the phrase "six degrees of separation" is often used as a synonym for the idea of the "small world" phenomenon.

In 2001, Duncan Watts, a professor at Columbia University, revisited Milgram's experiment on the Internet using e-mail messages. His research uncovered fresh areas that later underpin advancement into corporate communication and network theories etc.

Today, the notion of six degrees has become influential and moved beyond academic and philosophical terrains. For instance, the concept of network marketing and social networking on platforms like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, LinkdIn etc might have taken their bearings from this theory.

The television program Lost might have also explored this theory as almost all the characters seem to have random remote or direct connections. The Oscar-winning film, Babel, also appears to be based on this concept. The lives of all of the characters were intimately intertwined, although they did not know each other and lived thousands of miles from each other. A popular film like the Matrix may also give you an idea of how information is critical to survival.

On the flip side, an astute mind-slayer may employ this theory to manipulate a subject through misinformation, misconception and misconstruction. By using a tactic of ‘cutting the edges’, a subjects’ attitude and actions can be influenced for purposes intended. Miyamoto Musashi, in a Book of Five Rings, says if the corners of an opponent are overthrown, the spirit of his whole body will be overthrown.

Now amplify the use of this theory in the hands of mind-slaying institutions, organizations or even sovereign entities – your guess is as good as mine. You may be shocked at the quantum of ‘untruths’ that has submerged you. Remember, no knowledge is ‘bad’; it’s the use to which this is committed that matters. Think out of the box!

Faj