Network Closure
when everyone in your circle knows everyone else, the circle starts policing itself
Grounded in the research on Wikipedia: Network closure / James S. Coleman, 'Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital' (1988)
step 1 - name it
Network closure is when your contacts also know each other. Picture your circle as dots and lines: in a closed network the lines fill in, everyone's connected to everyone. The opposite is an open network with gaps. Closure isn't about how many people you know. It's about how tightly the people you know are wired to one another behind your back.
step 2 - know the science
Sociologist James Coleman coined it in his 1988 paper on social capital. His point: a closed network creates trust and enforceable norms because no one can act badly without it getting back to everyone. Reputation travels. He contrasts it with Ronald Burt's structural holes, which argue the OPEN gaps are where the value is. Both are real. They just pay off differently.