The strength of weak ties | Stanford Report (opens in new tab)

In 1973, Stanford sociologist Mark Granovetter showed just how important casual acquaintances are. In a survey he conducted of how 282 men in the United States got their jobs, Granovetter found that a person’s weak ties – their casual connections and loose acquaintances – were more helpful than their strong ones in securing employment. “Your weak ties connect you to networks that are outside of your own circle,” explained Granovetter in a 2022 interview. “They give you information and ideas t...