The circles are a map, not a rule
The common 5, 15, 50, and 150 layers describe different levels of closeness: the people who steady you, the people you trust, the people active in your life, and the wider meaningful circle.
Orbit treats those layers as a guide. A person can move. A circle can be quiet. The point is to see shape, not enforce a quota.
Why the model helps
Most people carry their relationships as a fog of memory, intention, guilt, and vague goodwill. A circle model turns that fog into something you can understand.
It helps answer practical questions: who needs presence, who needs a small hello, who has drifted, and which relationships belong to a repeating room or rhythm.
Use it kindly
A human-scale map should make care easier, not colder. It should never become a popularity chart or a measure of worth.
The best use of Dunbar layers is simple: remember who matters, respect your limits, and take one next step that fits the relationship.
Where Orbit fits
Orbit is the practical layer: circles, memory, drift awareness, and gentle next steps inside one private relationship companion.