Strong Ties
the 5 people who'd answer your call at 3am are doing more than you think
Grounded in the research on Mark Granovetter, 'The Strength of Weak Ties' (1973); Wikipedia: Interpersonal ties
the tie
Strong ties are your inner ring: the handful of people you see often, trust deep, and would actually do something for. Close friends, family, the person you text first when life breaks. High frequency, high emotional intensity, real reciprocity. Most people max out around five of these, with maybe fifteen close-ish behind them. They're rare on purpose.
where it comes from
Sociologist Mark Granovetter named the split in 1973. He measured a tie by time spent, emotional intensity, intimacy, and reciprocal favors. His twist: weak ties get you new jobs and info because they reach outside your bubble. But that fame buried the other half. Strong ties aren't the loser here, they do a completely different job: they hold you up.