Not (quite) my age, but an interesting number nevertheless.
It is figure that our ancestors found to be the most “convenient” size for a population of hunter-gatherers. It is also the average size of a village mentioned in the British “Domesday Book”. Further proof of it potency is that 150 represents the average number of Christmas cards we send (oh, yeah?).
Evidently, aeons of “progress” have created our brain capable of interacting with this number of people. Any more than this requires more restrictive rules, laws and enforced norms. It also requires long-term memory size (which normally we haven’t got – yet).
So, all of you inside Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networks, consider the number(s) with whom you interact most often; I would be very surprised if the number did not come out near to the 150 mark (the Dunbar Number).
As an interesting aside, back in 2007 the Swedish tax authority planned to reorganise its functions with a maximum of 150 people per office. I have heard nothing more of this, so perhaps someone out there can tell me what happened – if anything…..
Over the last 250,000 years, have we progressed? It’s an interesting question and I do not know the answer except to say “maybe”. What I will say is that at the last count, this blog had 4 “followers”; may I ask a further 146 of you to sign up similarly……I would like to follow the Dunbar Number! And after that comes the six degrees of separation…. but that’s another story!
Until next time (and counting),
Very interesting! And reminding us of some crucial issues yet again.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, currently many people on Facebook and other social networks have hundreds, even thousands of "friends", which shows the level of supercifiality and alienation in the contemporary world. A tendency to call friends whoever they have met perhaps merely once, just to be able to boast of a high figure on their profiles. I fully agree with you on the appeal and capability of interaction with a limited number of people (150 being even more than enough).
A delighted follower of this outstanding blog
Lucana
Lucana thank you. You make a very valid point - the need to separate FRIENDS from ACQUAINTANCES. However, the start point is knowing who real friends are....
ReplyDelete