Six Degrees of Unification

It's a small world after all,
It's a small world after all,
There's so much that we share,
It is time we're aware.
It's a small small world.

I’m sure you recognize those lyrics as part of a song made famous by a Disney attraction where hundreds of children from more than 100 different nations sing, dance, and entertain guests to the disturbingly happy tune. And even though the song is incredibly stupid, it’s so ridiculously true.

Surprisingly, I didn’t really become aware of how much we share until I moved to the island of Manhattan. Day after day, I’m consistently amazed by exactly how small this world is after all.

Six degrees of separation is the theory that anyone on earth can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries.

I got to thinking today about all the people I’ve met since moving here (going on) 2 years ago, and how I met them. It’s crazy to think how cyberspace has made this world so much smaller in the past decade. And I found it intriguing to remember how the vast majority of the “intimate” relationships I initiated when first moving to New York were via Internet. I can’t even begin to articulate how important I find virtual communication to be in my life!!

As humans, our social networks crisscross and intertwine to become an unrecognizable web of first handshakes, awkward glances, and meaningful exchanges that unify us as a species.

It’s a beautiful thing :-)