Why Eigenvector Centrality quietly shapes who gets seen—and why it leads us away from real leadership.
What is Eigenvector Centrality
In network theory, there’s a ranking method called Eigenvector Centrality. It doesn’t just count how many connections someone has—it ranks you based on how important the people you’re connected to already are.
It’s used in everything from search engines to hiring algorithms. But more quietly, it’s embedded in how we evaluate people:
“They must be good—look who they know.”
“They must be right—look who follows them.”
“They must be trustworthy—look who supports them.”
How it works
This system rewards closeness to perceived power. If your connections are “important,” your value increases—regardless of your actual contribution.
So status becomes a feedback loop:
those with access to power are seen as valuable → they get more visibility → their connections get boosted → and new voices stay unseen.
Why it fails
It looks efficient. But it’s deeply flawed.
- It rewards charm, strategy, and proximity, not wisdom or clarity.
- It filters out dissenting voices, no matter how accurate they are.
- It prioritizes legacy over insight, making change nearly impossible.
- It buries innovation, because it doesn’t come from the “right” place.
When value is measured by closeness to status, we don’t uplift leaders.
We uplift performers.
We don’t reward truth.
We reward network fluency—even if it’s manipulative, self-serving, or empty.
The result:
A world where the most emotionally intelligent, visionary, or healing voices are often invisible—because they’re not part of the right circle.
Why Eigenvector Centrality Fails When Humans Are Involved
What works in math fails in emotion.
Eigenvector Centrality measures importance based on connections to other “important” nodes. It works in mathematics, search engines, and neutral systems where emotion doesn’t matter.
But in human systems, it breaks.
Why?
Because emotional intelligence isn’t counted.
Trauma, power dynamics, and manipulation are invisible.
It rewards people who are close to the powerful, not people who are emotionally aware, kind, or wise.
So what rises to the top?
- Charisma over care
- Influence over insight
- Prestige over truth
This creates a world where manipulators outperform visionaries, and emotional clarity is ignored—until it’s too late.
In short:
The math works.
The system fails.
Because humans aren’t numbers.
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