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You Are the Average of Your Five Closest Friends

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Re: You Are the Average of Your Five Closest Friends

#91

Post by ibisum »

ppog wrote: post #10

"Bottom line: If the main topic of conversation you have with your friends is not how you can better yourself, you need to get new friends." Thanks, but I'm happy with the friends I have and with the kind of conversations we have. If your friends love talking about "how you can better yourself," then fair enough -- whatever works for you. On the other hand, if your friends love talking about the things they do, inter…

You don't think you're bettering yourself by listening to your friends talk about the things they've learned, neat ideas, activities and things?

Hmm. I might be glad not to be your friend.

Re: You Are the Average of Your Five Closest Friends

#92

Post by count »

westicle wrote: post #60
swanson wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All the things you are listed are about Getting Better... Your conversations shouldn't be reciting self-help books to each other. Sharing stuff you think is awesome and kicking around projects are both great examples of bettering each other. Gossiping about celebrities or talking about that new World of Warcraft expansion pack are not.

What if you happen to think the new World of Warcraft expansion pack is awesome?

Improved micro is still self improvement :)

Re: You Are the Average of Your Five Closest Friends

#93

Post by Radix »

HaloZero wrote: post #54
deadmansshoes wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"You slowly replace your friends with "better" ones"..."will make you more of who you want to be" I believe the talented Mr Ripley used this strategy to good effect. There's a saying about never trust anyone who doesn't have at least one friend left from childhood.

Not sure what the point of the childhood friend thing is. I was a very very awkward youth (I didn't speak English well and I was one of few Indian students at my school) so I had a lot of trouble making friends. I don't have many friends from my childhood because I wasn't very good at it, I didn't really establish lasting friendships until High School and College.

High school counts as childhood, and more to the point, childhood friends are an indication that a person is not a disloyal back stabber and is someone others value. It's social proof.

it's just a saying though and is useless past its intended meaning. It does't seem to apply to you.

Re: You Are the Average of Your Five Closest Friends

#94

Post by khafra »

zyfo wrote: post #40

If the main topic of conversation you have with your friends is not how you can better yourself, you need to get new friends. Or, put another way, if you prefer to read fiction and non-personal non-fiction rather than self-help books you need to get some new books. Why? Because Oprah said so.

I agree with the implication that talking about bettering yourself isn't usually the best way to better yourself.

Re: You Are the Average of Your Five Closest Friends

#95

Post by jasminaata »

paulofisch wrote: post #6
jasminaata wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hi, yeah this is a true story and it is about me. Ask me anything.

Great to hear you've found happiness in geekery. Do you have your next level-up planned?

I am shooting for the stars. Maybe a Ruby on Rails developer.

Re: You Are the Average of Your Five Closest Friends

#96

Post by __rkaup__ »

goblin89 wrote: post #89

Seems like most people strongly disagrees with that bottom line about friends, ignoring the rest of the post, which is very inspiring. Thanks! I actually somewhat agree with that bottom line. The whole point is lost when we try to put it more softly and ‘appropriately’. It just sounds too unnatural for us social creatures. But it is in some way true, as it is true that your environment influences you much: For exampl…

You can't train a cat like you can train a dog.

Re: You Are the Average of Your Five Closest Friends

#97

Post by Confusion »

zyfo wrote: post #87
Confusion wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no post in the world that accounts for all outliers.

On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.

A number of transhumanists respectfully disagree.
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