What the Dunbar Number means for your healthy social interactions
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The Dunbar Number states that we can really only maintain up to 150 people in our personal network. But there are other just as important implications of Dunbar’s work. I think this infographic from Boston University illustrates it nicely. A person with healthy relationships necessarily has them at various levels of intimacy. There can only ever be a handful (up to 5) in their closest circle (the support clique).
When we talk about accepting and embracing your emotions and connecting with a compassionate person about them in order to process them and let them go, it is primarily within the support clique (and to a lesser extent the sympathy group). Being open emotionally doesn’t mean that you are open equally with everyone. It’s not an all-or-nothing situation (pro tip: It so very rarely ever is).
[Also see my post on the Dunbar Donut]