The monkeysphere

[Dimentio]

http://www.cracked.com/article_14990_what-monkeysphere.html

It seems that human beings are biologically inclined to form societies of a maximum of 150 people. Thus, could we not explain a lot of the sense of alienation which many urban people are experiencing with this little oddity?

I think this actually could be an argument in favour of anarchism.

[ZeroNowhere]

It seems that human beings are biologically inclined to form societies of a maximum of 150 people.Wait, does the hypothesis really say that? No, it says that apparently we can only be closely connected to 150 people at maximum. While this is a made up number, I don't see what the hell it has to do with society. I've got to go to somebody's funeral in order to form a society with them? But then again, I'm an introvert, in a society with 150 people I'd probably only be friends with 5 or so, so never mind me. Though perhaps we should increase population density into the ten-thousands just to make sure. And since we're going for 150, which is quite a lot, maybe we should pull a Dhaka.

[Dimentio]

While humans could function with more than 150 individuals, evidently, 150 seems to be optimal.

[Tyrlop]

wow, that was a breakthrough. very interesting...

[Manifesto]

Wouldn't that eventually lead to inbreeding although usually distant?

[Dimentio]

Wouldn't that eventually lead to inbreeding although usually distant?

No, the autonomous communities cannot afford to be isolated. The system needs to be open, but power over the social lives of people should be as close to those affected as possible. It should be based around participatory autonomous communes. But there should not be any physical or political limits which should prevent people from socialising with people from other communities. That would be against all humanism.

[the last donut of the night]

Not only is the article very interesting, it's also quite funny...

[WhitemageofDOOM]

It seems that human beings are biologically inclined to form societies of a maximum of 150 people.

And for some reason we decided it was a bad idea.
The real question then is why.
Well economies of scale for one, 150 people cannot farm up a city.
But there's another reason which cuts to the heart of why mass society is a necessary outside of efficiency. The smallest societies tend to be the most tyrannical, chimpanzees are bullies that's how they and thus us express there power over one another. Thus if you know everyone who you dominate you have all the reason in the world to control them as much as possible.
That faceless bureaucrat? He doesn't get off on petty power plays directed at you, so as long as society doesn't reward him for it he is very unlikely to engage in such behavior.

Modern societies are more open and free because it's harder to cut your tribe off from others and control them since the tribal boundaries are not so clearly marked.


Thus, could we not explain a lot of the sense of alienation which many urban people are experiencing with this little oddity?That seems more to computers and the death of intimacy, but it's pretty clear we've chosen the machine over the human being.


No, the autonomous communities cannot afford to be isolated.

An autonomous community is by definition isolated, i mean i can't think of a definition of autonomous that doesn't include "You don't rely on them for survival." and then inevitably leads to "They are evil and must be purged for not being us.".