6 Degrees of Separation

Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that, if you are one step away from each person you know...and two steps away from each person who is known by your acquaintances, then everyone in the world is on average just six "steps" away from you!


I had an opportunity to see if I could make this theory work in practice--and help out a friend of mine, Jim Perry. Dr. Perry is dean of the University of Wisconsin-Fox. He has a goal of raising $2 million for a new Communication Arts Center on campus. They have reached 3/4 of the goal--and when Jim called me, I suggested that he think outside of the Fox Cities for potential donors.


I had a few celebrities in mind. Jim said they had already contacted actor Willem Dafoe. I suggested PGA Tour golfer, JP Hayes. I gave him a possible avenue of connection.

Then I suggested Greta Van Susteren. She hosts a nightly program called On the Record with Greta on Fox News.


I am only two degrees of separation from Ms. Van Susteren. So I told Jim I'd give it a try. And it worked. In very rapid order, via a friend of mine who I contacted, he talked with Greta over the Christmas holidays.

As Jim said, you never find out unless you try, or as I fondly remember from a Disney World ride...it's a small, small world after all!