MODERN CONNECTIONS
Santa Claus, the Easter
Bunny, and Six Degrees of
Separation
By Ivan Misner
The idea that we are all connected
through Six Degrees of Separation is
rooted in myth—not in fact.
The studies the myth arose from
indicate clearly that some people are
better connected than others.
Being able to make successful
connections is not an entitlement.
Instead, it is a skill that only some
actually develop.
What do Santa Claus, the Easter
Bunny, and Six Degrees of Separation
have in common? The answer is –
people all around the world believe in
them. But, since I don’t wish to do an
exposé on Santa Claus or the Easter
Bunny, I’m going to leave those icons
alone. I want to talk about the Six
Degrees of Separation idea. This is
the widely-held belief that we are all
connected to each other through, at
most, six intermediary connections
or people.
Separation is rooted in myth—not in
fact.
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad
tidings, but it’s just not true. In fact,
it is a widespread urban legend.
I know, I know—you’re thinking,
“What? That can’t be! It’s common
knowledge that we are all separated
by six connections to anyone in the
world.” Well, I hate to burst your
bubble, but the idea that we are all
connected through Six Degrees of
The legend originally stems from
several “small world experiments”
conducted by Stanley Milgram in the
1960s and 70s. These experiments
involved sending folders or letters
from a group of people in one part
of the country to a specific person
(whom they did not know) in another
part of the country. The people were
told to get the material to someone
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September 2016
who might know someone that
would know the individual to whom
the material was to be delivered
to. This process formed a chain
of connections linking the people
together.
It was, in fact, found that the letters
or folders which eventually arrived
in the right person’s hands took,
on average, between five and six
connections or degrees. This part is
true; however, if you look closer, you