Humans are gregariouscreatures by nature, and social interaction is fundamental for every facetof our health. __________ A strong support network and solid community bonds promote our emotional and physical health, and are critical components of a balanced adult life. However, just as with many other aspects of our lives, there seems to be a limit to how large our personal networks can grow.
Back in 1992, a British anthropologistnamed Robin Dunbar came up with a hypothetical number defining the maximum sum of meaningful human relationships a person can have. The eponymousnumber was discovered accidentally while he was studying the groomingtendencies—a social behavior—of non-human primates. Around that time, researchers had discovered that the large brain of these primates was a result of their socially complex societies. The correlation was that the larger the brain, the larger the animal’s social group was likely to be. Scientists could then theoretically use an animal’s brain size to calculate how many members could feasiblymake up this group. Dunbar applied this theory to humans, and the resulting number was 150.
Dunbar’s Number, however, only refers to the limit of meaningful contacts within our social network. It does not account for other relationships. Human social relationships tend to have multiple layers, and extend outwardfrom the individual in concentriccircles. The innermostcircle contains five people: our loved ones. The subsequent circle holds 15 of our good friends. The third circle is reserved for people we consider friends, and the fourth is where the limit of 150 can be found. It is possible for a human to venture into the fifth (500 acquaintances) and sixth (1,500 recognizable people) circles, a featthat has been made much easier since the adventof social media.
