I was perusing some of the questions on Quora recently, and after searching for the term “Connection,” I came across this interesting question: What would it be like to live in a world of two degrees of separation between any two people?
The question references the commonly held theory that everyone in the world is no more than six degrees of separation apart. Here’s an example: I know Jim and he knows Sue. Between Sue and me, there are two degrees of separation. Sue’s father is the first cousin of a British lord who is married to a close friend of Prince Charles. That makes only six degrees of separation between me and Queen Elizabeth!
As you might expect, I found the question fascinating. This is how I answered it:
If we lived in a world with only two degrees of separation between any two people, we’d have to be even more selective and in tune with ourselves and our higher power than ever before, because it would take discernment to know which of these many relationships should be cultivated and which should be ignored. Cultivating them all would surpass our current capacity to maintain meaningful relationships.
I am a curator of knowledge, research, and beliefs about the power of connection. While I believe meaningful connections are essential to happiness and success, there must be a quality component to our important connections, and that requires attention and time.
Connection creates the conduit, but what flows through it is up to us, our values, and our choices.
So yes, I believe there can be too many connections to maintain them all reasonably.
Do you agree? How do you decide which of your current connections should be cultivated and which ignored?
A slightly different point of view: What is the vision of the Kingdom of God? A simple answer is no separation at all, at its culmination, but the practicalities of that in this life make it impossible.
What a wonderful vision that is…no separation at all in the Kingdom of God.
Yep, you’ve nailed it, Karen. There are connections and then there are CONNECTIONS! 🙂
Yes, I think we can have too many connections. I often think of my FB page (personal) and the handful of people that consistently comment on my posts and who I connect with through emails and personal, hand-written correspondence. I try to respond or interact with all connections, but that is not always possible. And then there are those people I’m “connected” to that only write to me when they are advertising or marketing something of their own. 🙂 I try to personally connect with those same people who are constant companions on my FB and blog.