Beyond our immediate network of contacts to whom we are directly tied, we are also indirectly linked to a broader web of connections. The chain of indirect links that connect us to people we vaguely know, people we know of, and people we do not know at all is the idea behind the principle of small worlds. According to this principle, any two people in the world selected at random are separated by a very small number of indirect connections. The first study that set out to document this idea found that the actual number was on average six, giving rise to the idiom “six degrees of separation.” The graph below is an indication of how far you can reach through just the indirect connections of the members of the reference group. The map shows you, your direct connections in the reference group, and how they link you to the rest of the reference group.
Benefits
The principle of small worlds is so compelling because it suggests that we have the potential to exercise influence far beyond those to whom we are directly connected. It is these chains of indirect connection through which: ideas, innovations, and diseases spread; new initiatives and change efforts diffuse and catch hold; mass social movements are organized, mobilized, and propelled; and even revolutions and political upheavals are realized.
Tradeoffs
The promise of small worlds needs to be measured against the reality of their realization. Achieving influence in the broader network requires enlisting not just the assistance and support of those you know and with whom you have some sort of relationship, but also engaging complete strangers. And, recent research has shown that the willingness and motivation of those to whom you are only indirectly connected falls off rapidly the further removed you are from them.