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Who your friends are will have a big influence on who you are
Of all the influences on our thinking, our interactions with others is probably the most important one. Those who we talk to on a regular basis have a much larger authority over our perception and feelings than many imagine.
Humans are social animals, and if you put a group of them together, they will certainly form friendships. That's why we tend to shape our most lasting acquaintances in places that we spend a lot of time - school, college and work. This is despite the fact that it's rare we will know who the people in those places will be before we arrive.
Few of us choose who our fellow classmates at school are, but we are amazed to find that among those twenty or thirty people are some of the best friends we'll ever make. Just imagine if we'd attended a different school, we would never have met that lifelong friend, although their face would probably have been replaced with another.
Certainly in those places where we are obliged to interact, such as school or work, we may team up with those most similar to ourselves. But everyone's different in their own way, and their differences from us will likely have a large influence.
Because of this, you need to choose your friends carefully.
If you find yourself having to interact day in and out with drug addicts, then drugs will start to seem like a normal part of life. If your group of friends suddenly became criminals, then crime is likely to seem an attractive solution to your problems.
If everyone you know is obsessed with playing sport, then it's almost certain that you too will start to take an interest. If your acquaintances are religious, then you too will likely find yourself interested in that part of life.
The army takes advantage of this phenomenon when breaking in new soldiers. They throw a group of strangers together and force them to rely on one another. They mold the point of view of the group by deliberately influencing every individual in it to think in a certain way. Those individuals then reinforce that perspective within the group, and before long you have a unit of men who will follow one another into battle.
You may have a great affection for someone with a destructive view of the world. To let any friend go is obviously a choice you have to make yourself, but you should realize that talking to that person is almost certainly having a negative affect on your own psyche.
Try to spend time with people who have traits that you admire. People who are ambitious, determined and active. Those who are creative rather than destructive.
If you find yourself spending too much time among those who are unhelpful to your happiness, make a concerted effort to be among those who can provide more positive interactions. Go to places where you are likely to meet such people.
This habit will certainly make a big difference to how well you do in life.
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