What is a human scale? Our new social patterns brought upon by technology suggest we can be comfortable navigating millions innumerable online profiles and groups, while a culture of quantified self help pushes us towards a solitary pursuit of personal meaning and growth. Far from being disparate issues, this session will establish that the dilution of connections and the anxiety induced by quests of self improvement are 2 sides of the same coin. As the Dunbar Number is just a suggested cognitive limit, we will explore its implications for well being without wading into dogma. What does awareness for the Dunbar number do for our personal ability to care for ourselves and each other? We will attempt to formulate strategies for healing, learning from ancestral and contemporary precedent, and leave with tools that hopefully can scale in our native environments.
Below is a brief interview with Harrison Chiu of Biosphere X, summing up the objectives and findings of his amazing presentation on the Dunbar number at the OpenCare Festival:
WB: Can you give a brief summary of the objective of your presentation?
HC: I wanted to present a usable Dunbar number framework, from looking at it from outside in and inside out, to people. Define community health and why Dunbar number is intricately linked to the concept.
WB: What would you say were the primary takeaways from it going forward?
HC:
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You can’t be friends with everyone, not is it possible, nor is it desirable.
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Social decay is exacerbated by our online social networking technologies.
Was telling a friend about your workshop and how it has influenced my thinking. Realised I could really use this right about now