Learning Goal: By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Learn why 50-70 relationships is the target
Understand value of personalized postcarding.
Personalize a postcards with your unique "why."
Write introductory postcards to voters locally.
Crafting messages using a provided template and modifying it for their voice.
Why is 50-70 the correct number of people to contact. When ballot measures or candidates are being vetted, have real conversations with people that know you. This way you get a true sense of what they think. You are building their confidence in you so they can tell you what they really think. Hopefully over time, they become engaged with you and begin to help. When you get there, we get more delegates and expand the people you have real relationships with.
This is the psychology behind the number.
1. Dunbar's Number & Layers of Relationships
Dunbar's Number (around 150): British anthropologist Robin Dunbar proposed that humans can comfortably maintain about 150 stable social relationships. This isn't 150 close friends, but 150 people you know well enough to recognize, feel comfortable around, and potentially ask for help. It's thought to be linked to the size of the neocortex in our brains.
Layers Within 150: Dunbar also breaks down those 150 into concentric circles:
5: Support Clique: These are your closest confidants – the people you turn to in a crisis. This group is critical for emotional well-being.
15: Sympathy Group: People you see frequently, spend quality time with, and feel a strong connection to. This is where most of your close friendships reside.
50: Affinity Group: People you see regularly, like work colleagues, sports teammates, or people in your hobbies. You have a good rapport with them.
150: Active Network: The broader group you know, recognize, and interact with occasionally.
500: Acquaintances: People you know by name but don't have a close connection with.
1500: Face Recognition: People you recognize, but don't necessarily know.
2. Cognitive Limits and Relationship "Budget"
Social Brain: Maintaining relationships requires cognitive resources – remembering details about people, tracking their lives, empathizing with their feelings, and responding appropriately. Our brains have a limited capacity for this.
Relationship Budget: Think of it like a mental "budget" for social connection. Every relationship, even casual ones, draws from this budget. The more relationships you have, the less bandwidth you have for each one. This is why relationships can become superficial as the number increases.
Investment Matters: Relationships require investment – time, energy, emotional vulnerability. If you spread your investment too thinly, the returns (depth of connection) diminish.