Association
title: The Power of Association is Only Outweighed by the Power of Dissociation description: [AFW M.1.33] Michael's Epiphany #33 published: true date: 2026-06-30T08:09:55.406Z tags: editor: markdown dateCreated: 2021-07-28T06:54:10.987Z
“When you need encouragement, think of the qualities the people around you have: this one’s energy, that one’s modesty, another’s generosity, and so on. Nothing is as encouraging as when virtues are visibly embodied in the people around us, when we’re practically showered with them. It’s good to keep this in mind.” ―Marcus Aurelius
"Choose your friends wisely. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Choose your peer group wisely, and if you can’t find the type of mentors that you’re looking for in-person, find them through *books** and don’t be biased towards the latest and greatest. I think that you can certainly learn just as much, if not more, from Seneca and Benjamin Franklin by just reading their writings, as you can from the hot CEO of the moment."* ―Tim Ferris
“Associate with people who are likely to improve you.” ―Seneca
“A lion doesn't concern itself with the opinion of sheep.” ―Tywin Lannister
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” ―Jim Rohn
“Who gossips to you, will gossip of you.” ―Turkish proverb
“The number one reason people fail in life is because they listen to their friends, family, and neighbours” ―Napoleon Hill
“Five years from now, you’re the same person except for the people you've met and the books you've read.” ―John Wooden
“If you want to be a lion you must first train with lions.” ―Carlson Gracie
"Above all, keep a close watch on this—that you are never so tied to your former acquaintances and friends that you are pulled down to their level. If you don’t, you’ll be ruined... You must choose whether to be loved by these friends and remain the same person, or to become a better person at the cost of those friends... if you try to have it both ways you will neither make progress nor keep what you once had.” ―Epictetus
"From good people you’ll learn good, but if you mingle with the bad you’ll destroy such soul as you had." ―Musonius Rufus
"Tell me with whom you consort and I will tell you who you are." ―Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Surround yourself with people who have the habits you want to have yourself. You’ll rise together." ―James Clear, from the book Atomic Habits
“You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?” ―W. Clement Stone
Read Robert Greene's TDL 04-23 - Fear the Power of Infection PDF
Read Robert Greene's Daily Laws, October 9 - The Power of Association PDF
Read Steve Siebold's Secrets of the World Class #46 - Winning Environment PDF
Read Steve Siebold's Secrets of the World Class #166 - Build Cocoons PDF
The power of association is only outweighed by the power of dissociation. The people you hang around with will either help you win, or keep you down. They can affect both your attitude and focus, positively and negatively. Negative people have an easier time bringing you down to their emotional state than you have of bringing them up to your positive state.
Crab mentality, sometimes referred to as crabs in the bucket, describes a way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs. Individually, the crabs could easily escape from the pot, but instead, they grab at each other in a useless "king of the hill" competition which prevents any from escaping and ensures their collective demise. The analogy in human behavior is that members of a group will attempt to "pull down" any member who achieves success beyond the others, out of envy, conspiracy or competitive feelings.
