Intensity like signal strength will generally fall off with

"Intensity, like signal strength, will generally fall off with distance from the source, although it also depends on the local conditions and the pathway from the source to the point." These are the words of Charles Francis Richter, the man who gave the world the scale by which earthquakes are measured. His words, though spoken of tremors and signals, echo with a truth far greater than geology. For in them lies a reflection of the way power, passion, and influence move through the world—beginning in fire, but fading with distance, unless the pathway preserves and carries them true.

The ancients knew this well. They saw that the flame of a torch burns brightly at its heart, but its light grows faint as it stretches into the darkness. They saw that the voice of a herald carries strongly to those near, yet weakens as it drifts over hills and valleys. The strength of all things, whether it be sound, light, or spirit, diminishes as it journeys from its source, unless the way is clear, unless the conditions favor its travel. Richter’s scientific observation becomes, in the language of wisdom, a metaphor for the strength of human purpose and the endurance of truth.

Consider the words of Jesus of Nazareth. His teachings were spoken in villages of Galilee, to fishermen and farmers, yet they traveled across mountains and seas, carried by disciples, translated into tongues, reshaped by cultures. Two thousand years later, the intensity of his message still endures. Why? Because the pathways—faith, scripture, community—preserved the strength of the source. Though time and distance have passed, the signal has not fallen silent. This is the proof that influence, rightly carried, can transcend the natural law of fading intensity.

But history also shows us the opposite. Empires rise with mighty roar, yet their voices die quickly when the conditions of corruption, division, and cruelty choke the pathways. The Roman Empire stretched across continents, but its intensity fell as it spread too thin, burdened by its own weight and poisoned from within. The lesson is clear: greatness without a clear pathway will wither; power without integrity will not endure. The source may burn brightly, but distance and obstruction will bring its fall.

Richter’s insight is also deeply personal. The intensity of our dreams, the fire of our passions, begins strong within us. But as we carry them into the world, they weaken if not protected. Doubts, obstacles, the resistance of others—all are local conditions that diminish our flame. To succeed, one must guard the signal, strengthen it along the way, and choose the right pathways—companions, habits, and environments that carry our purpose farther without distortion.

The lesson is that influence and strength are not eternal unless tended. If you wish your words to endure, choose pathways that magnify, not diminish, their meaning. If you wish your dreams to reach far, protect them against the noise and interference of doubt. And if you wish your example to outlast you, then strengthen those who carry it forward, so that distance does not weaken its power. For even the brightest flame can flicker if the wind is unkind, but with care, it can light fires across the earth.

Practically, this means tending both your source and your pathway. Nurture your inner intensity—your vision, your faith, your resolve—so it burns strong. Then, build the conditions around you that will carry it farther: align yourself with allies who amplify your voice, create habits that preserve your energy, and avoid pathways that corrupt or scatter your purpose. In doing so, your signal will not weaken with distance, but will echo across time.

So pass down Richter’s wisdom: “Intensity falls with distance unless the pathway preserves it.” Teach your children that their strength must begin at the source—the heart—but that it must also be guided, protected, and shared wisely if it is to endure. For in this world, power fades, but truth carried well can outlast empires, and love guarded carefully can cross generations. And when asked how a single voice can reach the ends of the earth, answer: “By guarding the source, by choosing the pathway, and by strengthening the signal.”