Friends are an essential part of life. They are the people you spend a lot of time with and share things with. They have your back and you have theirs.

They are one of the core parts of your day to day life, and can impact it in many ways.

Being around these people so much, you’re bound to pick up a few traits from them, right?

Some people think you would inherit a few things from them, some think you inherit nothing at all, and some think friends share nearly everything, ranging from decision making to behavior to overall personality.

This argument stems from motivational speaker Jim Rohn’s quote, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” 

However, is this quote really accurate? Let’s take a look. 

To begin with, humans are naturally social, so the interactions we have on a day-to-day basis have a large impact on us mentally.

For instance, mimicking and trying to imitate those around us at a young age. Imitation is natural, and occurs instinctively, which is one of the many reasons why people think you are who you surround yourself with. 

You instinctively copy those around you from a young age, which is a big part as to why you can inherit some of the personality traits of those around you.

You’ve been subconsciously copying people from a very early age, so naturally you’re bound to keep continuing on with it. 

Many think this is the “Social Learning Theory”, a behavioral theory developed by psychologist Albert Bundrua. This theory posits that people learn behaviors, values, and attitudes through observing others, imitating others, and modeling their own actions after others.

For instance, if you are friends with people that really love animals, you might begin taking on that trait.

So, psychologically and scientifically, yes, you are influenced by those who you surround yourself with. But by how much?

This usually depends on two factors: you, and the people around you. See, it’s easier to be influenced by them if they are constantly talking about or doing certain things.

Constantly taking in the words or actions of other people will make you start to think about it more. Until eventually, you may be doing it.

So overall, it’s possible to get influenced by who you’re surrounded by, and there’s nothing wrong with it, as long as the actions aren’t harmful to yourself or others around you.