There is a certain mathematic to the proposition of belief, though. The power of emotion is strongest with the individual who creates the emotion. It is slightly less strong in the immediate group of followers, and as it spreads out it diminishes even further.

The music industry, and music, is a fascinating place. I cannot think of one culture that does not embrace and love music. Even the most gloom laden dictatorship loves a snappy march, albeit in a minor key. Music is a universal thing. And there is so much we can learn from the way people behave in the presence of music. One of the things that has always fascinated me, and perhaps the most telling, has been the way people adopt music and how it spreads through cultures, particularly now where music is generally freely available, though not entirely available for free. The spread of an artist or a style begins with the artist. The artist has some driving passion, linked to a melodic structure, a rhythm and possibly lyrical style and content. Drawing on him or herself, he or she makes a piece of music that is uniquely satisfying to himself or herself. People hear the music, and are moved by it, though no doubt slightly less than the artist. These people spread the music further, until the artist has a sustainable group of followers who admire the music and the artist. At this point it becomes really interesting.

The people around the group of admirers are influenced by the group to listen to and enjoy the music. They too adopt the music, but often less because of the quality of the music and more due to the fact that the group is actively influencing them. “If they like the music, so should I.” So in essence, the music is enjoyed not because it is great music, but because others are listening. After a while, the music becomes pervasive. As people become accustomed to it, it loses its power to fill the emotional voids of the soul. And the artist, refining his style, begins to copy himself. As the music loses relevance, the masses begin to seek new ways to fill the holes in their souls, and so space is made for new artists, and people listen to new music, and the cycle repeats itself. If you want proof of this, consider the musicians who moved you a few years ago, and the musicians who stir you today. Notice the difference in styles and in the audience characteristics.
The core of the proposition is the emotional appeal of the music. It is the emotion that is adopted and that travels. It’s the same with any other belief: your car, your clothing, your politics and even your religion.

There is a certain mathematics to the proposition of belief, though. The power of emotion is strongest with the individual who creates the emotion. It is slightly less strong in the immediate group of followers, and as it spreads out it diminishes even further. The power of belief also subsides over time. The first corollary to this idea is that in order to maintain strength of belief, it can be limited to a smaller group. This model works well for guerilla organisations, and religions. Although everyone knows, only a small group is party to the mysteries of the inner circle. By denying practical knowledge to the broader masses, familiarity does not breed contempt. The downside is that the strength is limited to the small group. The second idea that is interesting to toy with is the idea of decentralisation of belief. By separating the belief from the core, and giving each and every person who so chooses, and emotional tool in the form of the belief, with the central idea as a back check for the individual believer. This tactic has worked well for major religions.

There are two downsides to this. In the first place the believer can interpret the belief leading to chaos. In the second place, the central core has to be removed. In other words, the messiah has to die or disappear, which doesn’t help much if the idea is to profit by the belief of others, or if you have a career as a televangelist or politician in mind. The interesting thing is that belief has a measurable basis. And if it is measurable, it can probably be managed. Whether you are a frustrated evil genius or aspiring politician, take heed. The world could quite literally be your oyster.