The Lindy Effect — Why Some Ideas Never Die

The Lindy Effect says this: for non-perishable things — ideas, books, technologies, traditions — the longer something has lasted, the more likely it is to keep lasting. It’s named after Lindy’s Deli in New York City, where comedians used to gather and talk about which routines and jokes would survive over time. Over the years, this idea evolved into a formal principle: the future life expectancy of something non-perishable is proportional to its current age. So if a book has been in print for 100 years, there’s a good chance it’ll still be in print 100 years from now. If a piece of wisdom has lasted for centuries — think Stoic philosophy, yoga, fasting, democracy — it’s not just “old.” It’s Lindy-proof.