We, at our current level of knowledge and ability have barely begun to experience or fulfill our potential. One area that we have always struggled with has been varying population density. The mind is wired for social activity, and one must be very strong in what they believe in order to break such social habits and ties. In addition, humanity does not yet fully understand how to control the powerful tools that enable us to work together.

 

While we as a species have far to go to figure ourselves out, there are many telltale signs and trends that may be graphed to show a pattern. This pattern, as with all patterns, can act as a guide for higher and lower magnitudes of behavior. As many people know, once a trend is figured out and critiqued, a new stronger trend rises up and replaces it. It is the same with most things, and it is probably true with social behavior. Even so, this is what causes progress, and I belive that progress is what will keep our species from going extinct.

 

The smallest magnitude of social interaction is the singular interaction within a person's mind. Yes, the brain functions within itself and 'talks' to other parts of itself and with the body. You must learn to care for your body and mind to make it flourish. The second level of social magnitude is with a pair of people. Many people say that this is the greatest level since it invokes thoughts of sexual activity in most peoples minds these days. In truth, this is where everything gets very complicated.

 

The next level of complexity is with a small group. In small groups everyone usually knows everyone else and everyone knows what needs to be done and who does it. A small group can be from two to about fifteen people, with some wiggle room depending on your idea of a group. Some people are simply more socially active and can handle around thirty people as a small group. I personally am uncomfortable with more than a handfull of people. People in a small group often find themselves helping eachother with jobs and sometimes switching jobs altogether. People in a small group often tend to do more social experamentation amongst themselves.

 

In a large group you start to forget who everyone is and what everyone does. The operations required to support a large group may be so complex that no ordinary person can even remember them all. A large group can be a classroom or the employees of a super store. People in large groups are usually much more specialized than people in small groups once you have about ten people for every job that needs to be done. It is true that a ton of well educated people would be a nice benefit for any group, but large groups can overwhelm someone with the ability to do anything, and often that ability comes with a huge ego that can get in the way of smoothe operations. People in large groups often seek smaller groups of people who share social similarities, and often find themselves pairing with someone on a more permanent basis.

 

Greater still than a large group is a huge group. A huge group of people can be imagined as the audience in a grand auditorium, or the customers in a super store or mall. In a huge group, you absolutely need to have a small group to keep you focused on the tasks you must accomplish in your daily life. The huge group and the large group are also hyrids of one another. To one person a large group can be huge and to another person a huge group can be just large. People in huge groups are often flooded with social interaction to the point of overstimulation. Often people who are stuck in a huge group will be confused about themselves and often have a defense mechanism that causes them to forget things they don't need to know. People in huge groups, due to this confusion, are often not very socially centered and can drift from one empty relationship or sexual encounter to another. They often use substances to dull or sharpen their minds in order to make everything easier. They also usually find themselves locked in a dead end job with no hope of learning or finding a different vocation.

 

Small groups must be extremely organized in huge groups. As discussed previously, people tend to pool with others who have the same values as themselves, well in a huge group people pool with others who are in a similar situation or class. Small groups then tend to advance into organizations. When the right people form a small group, they become an integral part of the huge group. The small group often offers a service that is unique and greatly needed. Examples of such small groups are consulting firms, delivery services, shops, restaurants, public services, specialized maintenance, medical care, and education.

 

The next level up is the ultimate group. It is theorized that this size of group is at such a level of abstraction that human beings do not have the ability to notice it is there. In an ultimate group, small groups usually grow into bulky pseudo-large groups. These bloated groups often tend to be less efficient and pose a weakness to the very fabric of the community itself. Theoretically, when a small group tries to grow into a large one, people specialize so much that they become helpless when facing varied situations that small groups call for in small groups. In addition, negative tendencies that are usually reserved for huge groups will emerge and tear the small group apart. Businesses have tried to address this with the institution of departments (large) and teams (small), however, since these are not organic groups, they are not usually as efficient as they could be. In an ultimate group you often find several sets of large groups that run almost independent of eachother, and small groups are usually packed very tightly in massive skyscrapers.

 

As you can see, I stress the importance of maintaining small organic groups. These are people who enjoy eachothers company and get along in the long term. However, small groups must not only become stronger as society compacts in on itself, they must also become more intimate. A pair, the most basic physical group, must expand (not sexually) into the size of a small group, and a single unit must expand into two or more. This means that you must share your thoughts with one or more people, and although I pointed out that this is not required sexually, people in larger groups tend to need more social outlet, so pair up with someone you trust and enjoy being with or stay out in the country. When a group gets extremely dense, you must find yourself working with partners without using names or imagining a body, as is common inside someones head. You must work together simultaneously with someone on the same task like a multi-armed octopus. You will find yourself making up for the other's shortcomings.