How to Thrive in 2026: The Power of Dunbar’s Number | EP 711 w/ John R. Miles
Passion Struck with John R. Miles
Passion Struck Network
4.9 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 2 January 2026
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What if the key to thriving in 2026 isn't expanding your network or chasing global impact, but intentionally shrinking your world to the size your brain was built for?
In this first solo episode of 2026, Episode 711 of Passion Struck, John R. Miles explores the profound mismatch between our hunter-gatherer brains (evolved for tribes of under 150 people) and the demands of an 8-billion-person world. Drawing on Dunbar's number, psychology, and the themes of The Season of Becoming, John unpacks why endless social feeds, polarized news, and constant connectivity leave us anxious, burned out, and divided.
He explains how focusing on your true "tribe" of 150 restores peace, deepens connections, and amplifies your real impact, without the exhaustion of treating everyone as a potential ally or threat. This isn't about isolation. It's about reclaiming energy for what truly matters: presence, meaning, and relationships that sustain you.
If you're entering 2026 feeling overwhelmed by the world's noise or ready to reset for deeper fulfillment, this episode offers a compassionate blueprint to come home to your natural scale.
Before the goals and habits, reclaim the space where true flourishing begins.
Resources and Links
Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/dunbars-number-explained-why-we-need-150-in-2026/
All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles
Pre-order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/
Tribe Mapping Companion Workbook
Identify Your 150. Release the Rest. Build True Belonging.
Reflection prompts and exercises to map your core tribe, name what to release from large-group weight, and create habits for deeper connections in 2026.
Download the free Companion Workbook at: https://open.substack.com/pub/passionstruck/p/dunbars-number-150-thrive-2026/
In this episode, you will learn:
- Why our brains are wired for tribes of 150 and how modern life creates constant mismatch and exhaustion
- The science of Dunbar's number and its role in anxiety, burnout, and division
- How shrinking your world restores focus, empathy, and real impact without isolation
- Practical ways to identify and nurture your true tribe in 2026
- Why large-group thinking treats others as threats and how small-scale living rebuilds peace
- Reflections on The Season of Becoming and stepping into a year of intentional presence
Support the Movement
Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.
Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Disclaimer
The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of John R. Miles and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Coming up next on Passionstruck, we are hunter-gatherers with smartphones. |
| 0:06.4 | That's not just a clever line. It's the root of so much of the anxiety, burnout, |
| 0:12.4 | division, and quiet exhaustion so many of us feel heading into 2026. We're small group |
| 0:18.5 | animals, evolve for tribes of under 150 people, yet we're trying to live |
| 0:23.9 | in a world of 8 billion. The result? A profound mismatch. Your brain isn't failing you when you feel |
| 0:31.5 | overwhelmed by the news, polarized by politics, or drained by an endless social feed. |
| 0:40.3 | It's doing exactly what it was designed to do, treating anyone outside your natural circle as other, a potential threat, not your tribe. Today, |
| 0:48.0 | in this first solo episode of 2026, we're not adding one more goal or habit to chase global |
| 0:54.0 | connection. We're doing the exact opposite. We're going to one more goal or habit to chase global connection. |
| 0:54.9 | We're doing the exact opposite. |
| 0:57.2 | We're going to reset your world to the size your brain can actually handle so you can |
| 1:02.0 | finally thrive in 2026. |
| 1:05.0 | Stay with me because shrinking your world might be the key to growing your impact, |
| 1:10.2 | your peace, and your meaning. |
| 1:13.1 | Welcome to Passionstruck. I'm your host, John Miles. This is the show where we explore |
| 1:18.4 | the art of human flourishing and what it truly means to live like it matters. Each week, |
| 1:23.9 | I sit down with change makers, creators, scientists, and everyday heroes to decode |
| 1:28.7 | the human experience and uncover the tools that help us lead with meaning, heal what hurts, and |
| 1:34.3 | pursue the fullest expression of who we're capable of becoming. |
| 1:38.5 | Whether you're designing your future, developing as a leader, or seeking deeper alignment |
| 1:42.3 | in your life, This show is your invitation |
| 1:45.0 | to grow with purpose and act with intention. Because the secret to a life of deep purpose, |
... |
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