Our hard-wired genetic limitation on meaningful association with others may disappoint you, but there is still room for optimism.
First, your world is more intimate than you think it is, no matter how big you want to make it, or how big you feel under pressure to make it in today's global world. So concentrate on cultivating your personal "village" of 150 or fewer people: it's yours and nobody else can do it for you.
Second, you are one of only 150 (or fewer) of the most important people of every friend or close associate you have, i.e. you are automatically a member of their village, too. You may be more special to others than you think!
Third, the purpose of networking isn't to endlessly collect business cards and get acquainted with more and more people, it's to cultivate meaningful relationships in your village of 150 (or fewer) friends and associates, and from it receive real recommendations and reliable info, thereby extending your circle of trust beyond 150 still in a meaningful and personal way, unlike feckless friending on Facebook or connection collection on LinkedIn.
UPDATE: I added like 15 contacts on LinkedIn over the past few days. Guilty!
June 4, 2011 | All Things Considered on NPR
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