Counting the people you count on

(Estimated reading time: 1 minute)

Ever feel overwhelmed by the people in your life? Here’s some math that may help explain why. You see, it’s not just how many people are in your life, it’s also about how they get along with each other.

To calculate the number of possible relationships, start by counting the number of people in your inner circle. Include anyone you trust to have your best interests at heart. Take this number and multiply it by the same number minus one. Then divide the end result by two. The answer is the number of potential relationships in your circle, not the actual number of relationships.

Some people in your inner circle probably genuinely love and care for each other, but chances are there are a few who don’t know each other well or just don’t get along.

Here’s a more conventional way of writing this formula:

R = [N x (N-1)/2]

Where R equals the number of potential relationships and N equals the total number of people.

So for two parents with two kids, there are six potential relationships within a family of four ((4 x 3) / 2 = 6).

Add a third kid, and there are 10 potential relationships in that family ((5 x 4) / 2 = 10).

If you are married, have three kids and two sets of aging parents, that comes to 36 potential relationships just within the family.

And if you then add a couple of siblings, plus a couple of aunts to the family of five with two sets of aging parents, that comes to 78 potential relationships to navigate just within the family. Who is in your inner circle of family and friends? How many potential relationships are there in your circle? Here’s a tougher question. How many of those people can you count on to take care of you when it’s your turn to need a little help?