What we say and do can spread beyond those we know

Nicholas Christakis was interviewed by Christiane Amanpour on CNN yesterday.

Christakis is a physician and sociologist and lectures at Yale University.

“Most of us are already aware of the direct effect we have on our friends and family; our actions can make them happy or sad, healthy or sick, even rich or poor. But we rarely consider that everything we think, feel, do, or say can spread far beyond the people we know. 

Conversely, our friends and family serve as conduits for us to be influenced by hundreds or even thousands of other people. In a kind of social chain reaction, we can be deeply affected by events we do not witness that happen to people we do not know. It is as if we can feel the pulse of the social world around us and respond to its persistent rhythms. 

As part of a social network, we transcend ourselves, for good or ill, and become a part of something much larger. We are connected.”
― Nicholas A. Christakis, Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives