logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
20m 24s

Sunday Pick: How many friends do I need?

TED
About this episode

Each Sunday, TED shares an episode of another podcast we think you'll love, handpicked for you… by us. How many relationships should we maintain, and what are the different kinds of friendships we need anyway? In this episode of Am I Normal?,  a podcast from the TED Audio Collective, data scientist Mona Chalabi asks evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar what he's learned from been studying social relationships for 50 years. Then, Mona maps out her own relationships against the averages -- and invites you to do the same.

You can find the full text transcript along with studies cited in this episode at go.ted.com/AIN2. 


Special thanks to guest Robin Dunbar for lending his expertise. 


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jul 10
A story of moral imagination and bold entrepreneurship | Sitoyo Lopokoiyit and Jacqueline Novogratz
In a conversation about visionary leadership, M-PESA CEO Sitoyo Lopokoiyit speaks with impact investor and Acumen CEO Jacqueline Novogratz about how he grew a nascent mobile payment service into Africa’s largest fintech platform — which now handles nearly 60 percent of Kenya's GD ... Show More
19m 36s
Jul 9
"Marigolds," a poem about wonder | Safiya Sinclair
Poet Safiya Sinclair performs "Marigolds: A Letter to Wonder," an original poem she created for TED that explores memory, beauty and the fragility of life. After the poem, she talks with TED's Helen Walters about her writing process — and what it feels like when the creative muse ... Show More
9m 2s
Jul 8
The miraculous device that saved my farm — and changed my life | Josephine Waweru
Exhausted from carrying water up a hill to keep her small farm in Kenya thriving, Josephine Waweru received an unexpected call that offered a nearly unbelievable solution. She shares how one simple device allowed her crops (and her dreams) to flourish — and offers a glimmer of ho ... Show More
10m 18s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
How To Decide What Are Non-Negotiables In A Relationship
This episode of the Relationship Advice podcast explores the value of creating a Non-Negotiables List to establish clear boundaries and expectations in relationships. Colter, Cayla, and Lauren discuss how striking the right balance—neither too rigid nor too lenient—can lead to he ... Show More
51m 17s
Dec 2024
489: What Can You Learn After 500 Episodes? Chase Celebration!
On this episode, Colter, Cayla, and Lauren sit down with the long-running Relationship Advice podcast host Chase Kosterlitz as he reflects on ten years of hosting, sharing key lessons/insights about relationships and emphasizing the importance of friendships and somatic practices ... Show More
54m 5s
Mar 2025
More Happier: Friendship Roundtable: How to Make, Keep & Deepen Friendships
First in a new discussion series on happiness: Friendship Roundtable. Joining me is a longtime friend, Laurie Santos, and a new friend, Reshma Saujani. We talk about how our friendships have changed over time, how to handle conflict, and how to make new friends in adulthood. Yale ... Show More
37m 2s
Mar 2024
670: How to Connect with People Better, with Charles Duhigg
Charles Duhigg: Supercommunicators Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist and the author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better. A graduate of Harvard Business School and Yale College, he is a winner of the National Academies of Sciences, Nat ... Show More
40m 15s
Jul 2024
S1, Ep 12 BITESIZE Friendship Therapy: Modern Partnerships - making the unknowns, known
Welcome back to Friendship Therapy, and our last episode of season one! This is the bitesize episode, where Emma discusses her therapeutic takeaways from her conversation with this week's guests, Victoria and Helen. Having met (and bonded over their shared love of musical theatre ... Show More
24m 3s
Nov 2024
482: The Evolution Of Your Relationship, Social Media And More!
In today's wide ranging conversation, Dr. Jenn and Chase discuss why you might want to rethink who you follow on social media, how your relationships will evolve and how to have difficult conversations. Listen to today's show for valuable relationship insights and tools you can s ... Show More
46m 23s
Mar 2025
How To Make Your Relationships Exceptional | Carole Robin and David Bradford
Secrets from the massively popular Stanford business school course on interpersonal hygiene. Carole Robin and David Bradford taught the most popular elective course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business for a combined total of 75 years. Officially, the name of the course is ... Show More
1h 9m
Apr 2024
Robin Dunbar - Optimizing Human Connection (Dunbar's Number) - [Invest Like the Best, EP.367]
My guest today is Robin Dunbar. Robin is a biological anthropologist, evolutionary psychologist, and specialist in primate behavior. He is the man behind Dunbar’s number, a theory about the number of stable relationships we can maintain at once. Robin unravels the thread of resea ... Show More
1h 2m
Apr 29
Alexandra Solomon: How to Have Flourishing Relationships (From the No Small Endeavors Podcast)
Today, we’re sharing a special episode from the Signal Award-winning podcast No Small Endeavor, a show that explores what it means to live a good life through insightful conversations with thought leaders across various disciplines. Hosted by Lee C. Camp, No Small Endeavor engage ... Show More
56m 37s