Lasting Influence = People x Ideas Spread x Time
Influence = People x Ideas Spread
I give you the above equations to show you something important about influence. It is difficult to see how much influence a person has within their lifetime, but influence is seen more in what work does over a longer period of time. This is seen in the distribution of books like The Bible, in art like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and with inventions like the light bulb as a finished product from Thomas Edison. These things still impact people today, because these people and their ideas are influential. Do people still recognize the teachings of Jesus as influential in leadership and religion, do people still recognize da Vinci as influential in art and painting, and do people still see Thomas Edison as an genius with fresh ideas and who produced a revolutionary invention? The answer would be a resounding “yes” to all of these questions. After these teachings, art, and inventions were given to the world, people looked back on them to weigh creations of the present. That’s influence that creates conversation.