Anthropologist Robin Dunbar’s theory of “Dunbar’s number” proposes that people can only handle about 150 social relationships at a time. Recent research shows that within that circle, people have on average only five close friends, with 10 others one step away from being “close” and 35 others they are closer to than the remaining 100 people. Dunbar’s work on friendship continues, with a focus on the evolving social scene. Studies show that friendships become more important than family for personal health as we age, and other animals capable of true friendship include primates, elephants, horses, camels, dolphins, and whales.
History is filled with famous equations and fantastic friendships, but perhaps only one man, Robin Dunbar, has found a way to combine them. British anthropologist Dunbar gained some fame in the 1990s when he created “Dunbar’s number,” a theory that proposes that people can only handle about 150 social relationships at a time. But more recently, Dunbar has stepped up her focus on friendship. In 2007, he and a group of fellow researchers analyzed 35 million people in Europe who converse via six billion phone calls. They came to the conclusion that within that large social circle, people have on average only five close friends. They also found that most people have 10 other friends who are one step away from being “close” and 35 others they are closer to than the remaining 100 people in their social group. Despite the depth of the analysis, Dunbar says he has more work to do, especially in light of the evolving social scene that has developed alongside the rise of smartphones and social media.
Friends, family and furry creatures:
Dunbar’s number has been informally defined as “the number of people you wouldn’t feel embarrassed about joining uninvited for a drink if you happened to meet them in a bar.”
Research suggests that when it comes to personal health, friendships become more important than family as we get older.
Studies show that besides humans, other animals capable of true friendship include primates, elephants, horses, camels, dolphins and whales.
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