Summary

An Irish writer living in Berlin recounts personal experiences and invites readers to explore the concept of six degrees of separation by sharing their own small-world stories.

Abstract

The article discusses the theory of six degrees of separation, suggesting that all people are connected by six or fewer social links. The author, an Irishman based in Berlin, reflects on serendipitous encounters from his travels and challenges readers to connect with him, sharing their own anecdotes of unexpected connections across the globe. He provides personal examples, such as reuniting with a German acquaintance in Toronto and encountering individuals in Nepal and Vietnam with surprising links to people he knows. The author also shares details about his background, including his studies in France and work with Irish whiskey brands, to facilitate potential connections among readers. The piece encourages engagement and skepticism, offering a platform for readers to disprove or validate the six degrees theory through shared experiences.

Opinions

The author is fascinated by the interconnectedness of the world, as evidenced by personal stories of chance encounters.
He is optimistic about the possibility of being connected to strangers through a relatively small number of acquaintances.
The author views Medium as a suitable platform for readers to connect and share their own stories of unexpected connections.
He acknowledges and addresses potential skepticism about his motives, reassuring readers of his genuine curiosity and non-commercial intentions.
The article suggests a playful challenge to readers, inviting them to participate in a live experiment to test the six degrees of separation theory.
The author believes that sharing personal information can help in finding connections between himself and the readers.
He is open to private communication for those who are hesitant to share publicly, demonstrating a considerate approach to engagement.

Are We Connected? 6 Degrees of Separation: A Live Experiment.

Is it really such a small world? Let’s find out.

6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon. | Photo from Iceinstitute.org.

Our seemingly tiny world has always fascinated me. How you could be on the other side of the world and bump into an old acquaintance. How you’re chatting to someone at a bar, and — low and behold — they went to school with your cousin. How…crazy? (And problematic should you have a murky past). So, are we connected? We’ll soon see.

The purpose of this piece, originally, was to relive some small-world moments from my trips over the years. I hoped this would encourage you to then share your own anecdotes. Medium is a place to write, read and connect after all. But why stop there? — I thought. Why not put the 6 Degrees of Separation to the test and see if we’re connected right here, like some meta breaking of the fourth wall type thing. Kinda…ish.

The theory, conceived by Frigyes Karinthy in 1929, suggests that we are just six degrees away from any other person on this planet. A gentle reminder that the global population has now reached 7.6 billion. The Guardian states that you are one degree away from everyone you know, two degrees away from everyone they know, and so on. So, you, dear reader, are just 6 introductions away from me, Queen Elizabeth or Kevin Bacon. Okay, one of those is not like the other.

The Queen, for instance, seems unattainable at first. Yet, if anything, the famous are reached the easiest. A few years back, an old London-based friend of mine began to manage the social channels of Prince Harry and Megan Markle so I guess I’ll be sending Liz a friend request soon. Facebook actually conducted research in 2016 and concluded that its user base — 1.4 billion at the time — was only separated by 3.57 connections. Zuckerberg creep you out? He’s only a few clicks away.

Anyway, back to the ‘live’ experiment destined to receive maybe 3 claps and see my profile reported for improper use. Personally, I believe we’ll find some of us are connected because I’m buoyed by the past. Over the years I’ve been part of - or experienced - that moment of sheer delight having joined the dots and made the connection. It’s a moment of pure disbelief and often, raucous laughter.

Koh Tao, Thailand to Toronto, Canada. In October 2018 while doing a diving course on the Thai island of Koh Tao, I met a German guy called Adi. For a few days, both of us were part of a wider group who dove, drank, and dined together. As is normal, we went our separate ways after our final lesson. Skip forward to Toronto 10 months later, having not communicated at all, and we bump into each other in a bar. It was only a massive change of plans that brought me there in the first place!

Please excuse the text. I nabbed it from my IG story. | Photo from Author.

Melbourne, Australia to Thorang Pedhi, Nepal. In the photo below, on the left side of the table, you can see Drew and Em — both of whom are from Melbourne. On the right side of the table, you can see two sisters, also from Melbourne. Through chatting, the two sisters discovered that they had been at a fairly wild house party in Drew and Em’s 20 years ago. They haven’t crossed paths since and where do they meet? 16,400 ft high in the Himalayas. So, be prudent with your behaviour at your next party.

A long-overdue reunion in the Himalayas | Photo from Author.

Winnipeg, Canada to the Củ Chi tunnels, Vietnam. On a tour of the tunnels, I started talking to a Canadian woman, Nadine. It turns out she lived in Winnipeg next door to a woman named Quinn. I studied with Quinn for a semester in Bordeaux 5 years before.

A very small world. | Photo from Author.

What about you? Do you have small world stories to share? If not, are you ready to create some? Here’s the plan: I’ll list some information about myself and if you think a connection can be made, respond with some of your own. Then we’ll try to join the dots. If you’re cynical (like me) and think this is a ruse to get more engagement, that’s fair. The same goes for those who write under another name. In such cases, you can send a private note instead. I’m not a scammer, nor am I the embodiment of those little cookies that welcome you to each website. I am curious, though. And I do like cookies.

I’m just an Irish guy based in Berlin with a little bit too much time on his hands. Am I connected to you? Hey, look, maybe not. Yet by introducing ourselves now, we’ve just made the world that bit more connected…

…and made it far more likely for better results when someone executes this plan far better than me in 6 month’s time.

*Here’s some information about me that may help your thinking*

28 years old.

Born and raised just below Dublin, Ireland.

I studied in Bordeaux, France in 2013–2014.

I have worked across Jameson Whiskey and other Irish whiskey brands for a number of years, including a year in Rennes, France in 2015–2016.

I’ve spent 2.5 months in California hiking the Pacific Crest Trail as well as short stints in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle.

The New York stint involved a dance on Good Morning America should you know anyone working for ABC. If they’re emotionally scarred, there’s likely to be a crossover.

I now live in Berlin.

Yes, if you’re American and have Irish heritage, it’d help.

*Cue the reporting of my Medium profile*