friends walk into a bar.

While there is no record of this ever being a "bar joke," according to British anthropologist Robin Dunbar, it would be impossible.

In the 1990s, Dunbar proposed that humans could only maintain 150 stable relationships or friends. He based his rule on the size of the human brain. He found a correlation between primate brain size and average social group size. There is some evidence that brain structure predicts the number of friends one has, though causality remains to be seen

None of my neuroscience colleagues have been able to define what constitutes the parameters of friends, so we have to revert back to Dunbar who informally explains his “number”.

"It's the number of people you would not feel embarrassed about joining uninvited for a drink if you happened to bump into them in a bar." How that is correlated to the neocortical processing capacity of the brain is waiting to be addressed. He's not that far off when it comes to 150 people being a manageable number in a variety of settings.

A research article in The New Scientist provides that "Historically, 150 was the average size of English villages. It is also the ideal size for church parishes, and is the size of the basic military unity, the company. Although an individual's social network may include many more people, 150 contacts marks the cognitive limit on those with whom we can maintain a stable social relationship involving trust and obligation – move beyond 150 and people are mere acquaintances."

"Of course, acquaintances come and go, and we therefore cherish a smaller inner circle. There are numbers that define these other relationships. In an article published by the BBC (British Broadcasting

Corporation) the tightest circle has just five people – loved ones. That's followed by successive layers of 15 (good friends), 50 friends (meaningful contacts), 500 (acquaintances) and 1500 (people you can recognize). People migrate in and out of these layers, but the idea is that space has to be carved out for any new entrants."

"The richness of life has its roots in relationships, friendships and hanging out with folks who know us, forgive us, tease us, support us and root for us."

Of all the things that people with disabilities come up short with are the number of friends they have. As clinicians, teachers, DSPs, advocates, therapists, counselors and policy makers, we do a poor job of providing opportunities for them to make friends (not to mention opportunities for them to walk into bars). The richness of life has its roots in relationships, friendships and hanging out with folks who know us, forgive us, tease us, support us and root for us.

I tested myself against Dunbar's number and struggled to remember half of those I am supposed to be capable of having in my life.

Dunbar was recently asked how (as a social scientist) he felt about having his name synonymous with a number, a bragging right typically reserved for a famed mathematician. His sense of humor was obvious when he quipped, "The odd thing about it is most people who have things named after them are actually dead." One wonders how many of his 150 stable social relationships would show up at his funeral.•

ANCORA IMPARO

In his 87th year, the artist Michelangelo (1475 -1564) is believed to have said "Ancora imparo" (I am still learning). Hence, the name for my monthly observations and comments. – Rick Rader, MD, Editor-in-Chief, EP Magazine Director, Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center Orange Grove Center, Chattanooga, TN

EP MAGAZINE CELEBRATES 50 YEARS AS AN INDISPENSABLE RESOURCE FOR THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY

First published in 1971, EP Magazine is set to continue its legacy of excellence in reporting, advocating and innovating for people with special needs, their caretakers and their loved ones. CONNECT AND DISCOVER Join EP's Facebook Community EP FOR FREE!

EP’s 50th year began with the 2021 EP GUIDE to Navigating Special Needs Resources. Visit epmagazine.com/subscribe and don’t miss an issue!