How to Recognize Toxic Relationships With Five Simple Questions
For the last month, I’ve obsessed over what makes a happy and fulfilling life. I’ve explored healing, materialism, and finding your life’s purpose. My internet history is saturated with TED talks, motivational videos, and scholarly articles — and I’ve recently recognized that another key to a fulfilling life is meaningful relationships.
Today, people are obsessed with how many people they know. We often judge each other based on the connections we have. It gets us jobs and introduces us to different social circles. Connections are opportunities, nothing more.
In my research, I stumbled across the Dunbar Theory. Anthropologist Robin Dunbar found an association between primates’ brain-size and the size of their social circles. This also applies to us!
Our brains are wired for 100–150 casual friends. That means you can maintain up to 150 stable relationships.
In the next circle down, you can maintain 50 close friends. These are people you would invite to parties and see somewhat often.
Next, our intimate circles usually sit somewhere around 15. These are people that you can confide in and turn to for sympathy.
Lastly, your most intimate circle is 5. These five people are your most intimate connections and can…
