Health and network effects

Some products and services become more valuable and/or easier to use as more people use them. This is called the network effect.

The classic example is the telephone. The first telephone was useless. There was no one to call.

The second telephone created value, which increased with each added telephone and user. Now your telephone can connect with pretty much anyone on Earth.

The fax machine, email, the internet, and social media wouldn't have worked without people telling other people.

Our health and happiness strategies probably won't work without getting others involved either.

We tend to adopt the behaviors of the people in our in-group. If those people are eating, sleeping, planning, assigning value, and otherwise behaving differently than what we know to be healthy, then the pull away from a strategy in their direction will be awfully strong and unrelenting.

There's an elephant in the room in a lot my interactions as a healthcare provider: many of the changes people want to make are bigger than just one person. Some are way bigger - they require systems changes.

You're going to need to build a movement.

Despite the stories that break through, most unconventional thinkers probably end up keeping their thoughts to themselves.

That might not be the best strategy here. Health and happiness require a network effect.