Know many people

Knowing many people — maintaining a broad social network — provides what sociologists call bridging social capital. Putnam's research in "Bowling Alone" (2000) distinguishes between bonding capital (deep ties with similar people) and bridging capital (broad ties across diverse groups), arguing that both are essential for a flourishing life. Granovetter's weak ties research confirms that a large acquaintance network dramatically increases your access to non-redundant information and opportunities. Dunbar's social brain hypothesis suggests that while we can maintain roughly 150 meaningful relationships, the outer layers of our social network — the 500+ people we recognize and can place — serve important functions for information flow, opportunity discovery, and community belonging. Knowing many people also provides a sense of social embeddedness that buffers against feelings of isolation.

• 1
  You attend events or visit places in your community without recognizing anyone
• 2
  You struggle to recommend someone for a job, service, or introduction because your network is too narrow
• 3
  You have lived in your current location for years but could not name ten people outside your immediate household or workplace
• 4
  Your social interactions are limited to the same small group of people week after week

Consider these questions to understand where you stand: