As social beings, we humans naturally gravitate towards friends, family, and acquaintances who offer both emotional and practical support. However, our energy and time are limited, which makes it difficult to cultivate every relationship meaningfully. Archaeologist Robert Dunbar introduced the concept known as Dunbar's number, which suggests that, on average, we can maintain meaningful relationships with up to 150 people.

In today's discussion, I encourage you to engage in a simple exercise: 

• Make a list of all the people you know.
• From that list, identify and tag those you cherish using the hashtag #Dunbar-Circle. 
• Count how many people fit into this category. 

After this exercise, ​review each of them by asking yourself: why are they important in your life? Do they think the same way?​ Is the relationship supportive or demeaning? Is the relationship interaction frequent? Let go of unhealthy relationships. 

To identify the most important individuals in your life, consider asking yourself who would attend your funeral and sit in the front row to honor you during that moment. Then, add a #core in addition. ​Note that among those in your Dunbar circle, normally only 15-12 can enter your core relationships.

After this exercise, make a plan to spend time nurturing relationships. Share your life stories, send greetings, have lunch together, arrange a trip, or watch a movie. All of these activities help strengthen your connections.

Relationships are an important wealth in our lives and a major contributor to a healthy and happy life. This little exercise can help you build them wisely.

Telling stories is the most important skill for effective communication. A good story typically includes several key elements:

• The location and time
• What you were doing in that location
• What you were thinking
• Your feelings
• The background sounds or conversations

Let me share two stories using this technique.
​
​The first story is about a summer internship I had while I was in college. My job was to sell large, shiny world maps that could be hung on walls. To accomplish this, I had to visit various companies to showcase the samples and persuade them to purchase maps for office decoration. Since the maps were quite expensive, making sales was often challenging. One day, I entered an office that appeared poorly equipped, and the person I encountered seemed more like a peasant who just started the entrepreneurship . I didn't have high hopes for making a sale, so I went through my usual pitch. To my surprise, this person responded,"What do you have? I'll buy all of them."  That moment taught me that we should never judge a person's potential based on their appearance.

​We collected conversation-starting questions that naturally lead to storytelling rather than simple answers. These are categorized into social settings, workplace interactions, college discussions, and school conversations to ensure relevance across different scenarios.

Social Settings (Friends, Family, Casual Meetups)
1. What’s the most unexpected adventure you’ve ever had?  
2. When was the last time you got lost somewhere, and how did you find your way?  
3. Have you ever had a random encounter with a stranger that changed your day?  
4. What’s the funniest misunderstanding you’ve ever been part of?  
5. Can you remember a time when a small mistake turned into a big adventure?  
6. Have you ever met someone famous? How did it happen?  
7. What’s a tradition in your family that always leads to a great story?  
8. Tell me about a time you tried something new and it went terribly wrong.  
9. What’s the best meal you’ve ever had, and what made it so memorable?  
10. Have you ever had a “this can’t be real” moment? What happened?  
11. What’s the strangest conversation you’ve ever overheard?  
12. What’s one of the best surprises you’ve ever received?  
13. Have you ever had a pet that had a big impact on your life?  
14. What’s the most dramatic way you've ever met someone new?  
15. Tell me about a time you laughed so hard you couldn’t breathe.  
16. What’s a moment when you felt completely out of your comfort zone?  
17. Have you ever had a travel experience that didn’t go as planned but turned out great?  
18. What’s the longest you’ve ever stayed awake, and why?  
19. Have you ever had a dream that stuck with you long after you woke up?  
20. What’s a song that reminds you of a very specific moment in your life?  

Workplace Conversations (Networking, Colleagues, Team Bonding)
21. Can you remember your very first day at work? How did it go?  
22. What’s a mistake you made at work that turned into a learning experience?  
23. Have you ever worked on a project that completely changed how you think?  
24. Tell me about a mentor or colleague who had a big impact on you.  
25. What’s the most rewarding challenge you’ve ever faced in your career?  
26. Have you ever had a moment at work that made you think, “This is why I do this”?  
27. What’s the most unusual job you’ve ever had?  
28. Can you recall a work situation where you had to think quickly to solve a problem?  
29. What’s the most memorable feedback you’ve ever received from a boss?  
30. Have you ever had a workplace tradition or inside joke that made your team stronger?  
31. What’s the most impressive thing you’ve seen a colleague do?  
32. Have you ever had a work-related travel experience that was unforgettable?  
33. Can you recall a time when you had to handle a difficult customer or client?  
34. Have you ever been in a meeting that took an unexpected but funny turn?  
35. What’s a time when you successfully convinced someone to see things your way at work?  
36. Have you ever had to adapt to a major workplace change? How did it go?  
37. What’s the most creative solution you’ve come up with at work?  
38. Can you share a time when you took a risk professionally? Did it pay off?  
39. Have you ever had an awkward or funny first impression with a coworker?  
40. What’s a skill you learned at work that you never expected to use?  

College Conversations (Dorm Life, Classes, Campus Culture)
41. What’s the strangest or funniest thing that has happened in one of your classes?  
42. Have you ever had a professor who completely changed the way you see a subject?  
43. What’s a group project experience that was unexpectedly great (or terrible)?  
44. What’s the most unexpected place you’ve made a good friend?  
45. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter for something other than studying?  
46. What’s a college event you attended that you’ll never forget?  
47. Have you ever taken a class just for fun, and how did it go?  
48. What’s a time when you felt totally lost in a subject but managed to figure it out?  
49. Can you recall a dorm room or apartment mishap that turned into a great memory?  
50. What’s a time when you had to make a tough decision about your academic path?  
51. Have you ever had a conversation with a stranger on campus that left an impact on you?  
52. What’s a funny or unusual way you met one of your closest college friends?  
53. Have you ever experienced an embarrassing moment in a lecture?  
54. What’s a campus tradition or event that made you feel like you truly belonged?  
55. Can you recall a time when you had to advocate for yourself in college?  
56. Have you ever been part of a protest, rally, or movement on campus?  
57. What’s a hobby or passion you picked up in college that you didn’t expect?  
58. Have you ever had a moment in college that felt straight out of a movie?  
59. Can you share a time when you took an academic risk that paid off?  
60. What’s the most unique way you’ve prepared for an exam?  

School Conversations (Childhood, High School, Teachers, Friendships)
61. What’s a memory from childhood that always makes you smile?  
62. Have you ever had a teacher who made a huge difference in your life?  
63. What’s the most daring thing you ever did in school?  
64. Can you remember a time when you got caught doing something mischievous?  
65. What’s a school project or assignment you really enjoyed working on?  
66. Have you ever had a moment when you felt really proud of yourself at school?  
67. What’s a childhood game you used to love playing?  
68. Have you ever had a surprising or hilarious moment in the classroom?  
69. What’s the most creative excuse you’ve ever given for not doing homework?  
70. Can you recall a time when you stood up for someone at school?  
71. What’s a favorite book or story from school that stayed with you?  
72. Have you ever had an embarrassing moment during a school performance or presentation?  
73. What’s the most dramatic thing that happened at your school?  
74. Have you ever had a funny misunderstanding with a teacher?  
75. What’s the first school trip or excursion you remember vividly?  
76. Can you recall a time when you had to overcome a fear at school?  
77. What’s the best prank you’ve ever seen or been part of?  
78. Have you ever had a surprising friendship that started at school?  
79. What’s one of the toughest but most rewarding things you did in school?  
80. Can you remember a moment when you felt unstoppable as a kid?  

Bonus (Miscellaneous Deep & Fun Questions)
81. Have you ever had a moment where you felt like you were in the right place at the right time?  
82. Can you recall a time when someone unexpectedly helped you?  
83. What’s a memory that still makes you emotional when you think about it?  
84. Have you ever had a travel experience that changed you?  
85. What’s a random act of kindness you’ve witnessed or received?  
86. Can you remember a moment that felt like pure luck?  
87. What’s a conversation that changed the way you think?  
88. Have you ever had a situation where you had to rely on a stranger?  
89. What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?  
90. What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or learned recently?
91. If you had an entire day to yourself with zero responsibilities, how would you spend it?
92. What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
93. What are you most excited about right now, personally or professionally?
94. What do you do if you have your own time? 
​95. If you can invite anyone from history to have a dinner with you who will be that person?Why? 
96. What’s your favorite book you’ve read recently?

​If you have any good ones, please let us know. Thanks.