Does Santa Claus exist? No, seriously—let’s run the numbers.
In this special Christmas Eve episode, I’m doing something different. Instead of the usual business strategies and contrarian frameworks, we’re taking on the most successful mass delusion in human history: Santa Claus.
378 million children. 91 million households. 31 hours. One sleigh traveling at 650 miles per second. The physics are… problematic. Each of the 216,000 reindeer required would vaporize in under five seconds. Santa himself would be pinned to his sleigh with 2,000 times the force of gravity. It’s not a logistics operation—it’s a disaster.
But here’s where it gets interesting: everyone knows this. We perpetuate the myth anyway. And maybe—just maybe—that’s not a bad thing.
This episode asks a question I don’t usually ask on Iconoclast Insights: which lies are worth keeping? When does a shared delusion create more value than the truth? And what does Santa Claus teach us about knowing when to challenge assumptions and when to let the magic stand?
A festive episode about physics, philosophy, and why sometimes the big red clown deserves our respect.
Merry Christmas, Iconoclasts.
