Jerry, Stalin, statistics and families

On Alex's suggestion, I've just watched the Jerry Springer episode of the BBC geneology Series Who Do You Think You Are?\

Well worth a look if you can, touching but not sentimental. And as befits the man, a gloriously rich and epic tale.

It also shows a more human side to TV's Mr Cynical. The reality of another person's death works on all of us very differently from the statistical fact of the same – just as Stalin is supposed to have observed – because it's people and not stuff that we're wired for.

So who does Jerry now think he is?

"I'm a link in the chain of an old wonderful family. I'm blessed"

"A link in the chain" not an individual. Just like a good social animal does…