Bringing up the average

Are you really the average of the people you hang out with?

I was contemplating the behaviour of an acquaintance recently. Someone who had made some very poor life choices (as we all sometimes do). The difference this time being that their behaviour in this instance was completely out of character from what I was used to from them. I attibuted this initially to them having fallen in with the wrong crowd of guys who influenced them in a negative way. But is this actually a thing?

When I change for the worst it’s easy for me to look for reasons why it is not my fault. Someone must have influenced my negative behaviour. Now the complicated thing in a group is that we could all say the same thing about each other. If our average as a group is inherently bad, am I improving or reducing the average well-being of the group?

In a group situation the person we generally have the most control over is ourselves. Yet each individual may find it more convenient to blame the other parties when things go wrong. Therefore, my perspective on this is for everyone to take some time to reflect on their relationships and ask themselves the question “Am I bringing down or improving the average of the group by being a part of it?”.

The answer to this question will then naturally flow into other questions about our own behaviour as well as answers as to whether it is the right group for you in the first place.