“Dunbar’s Number” by Nettie Farris

You remember that anthropologist who came up with a number for the cognitive limit of stable social groups. 150 is the commonly touted number, though I’m not sure if that’s the median, or the mode, or the average, or what. I’m not really a math person. Well, he has other interesting theories as well. One compares the way we hang out with our friends to the grooming activities of primates. Like social grooming in animals,  our time spent with the people we care about serves to maintain and cement our relationships. Chit chat is a major component of such hanging out. So I’m somewhat concerned by your recent disparaging remarks concerning chit chat. And I’m wondering what sort of activities you might choose in exchange. I spend a lot of time in the woods, so, perhaps, you might check me for tics, afterwards, and remove them for me. Perhaps I, in return, might apply your sunscreen for you. I think this might be a viable solution, considering the fact that I find grooming bothersome, and I’m actually not very fond of chit chat myself, except with you. Perhaps there are some other activities you might suggest, which would be more compatible to your tastes and interests. Nonetheless, please let me know, as I’m at about 149 currently, so somebody will soon  have to go.

-Nettie Farris

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