How People Silently Influence Us
We adopt others’ behaviors, emotions, motivations, and goals. This is called social influence.
Several categories of social influences such as conformity, socialization, peer pressure, obedience, leadership, and persuasion demonstrate the presence of this force. This is why companies exploit it with their sales and marketing strategies, often without our conscious awareness.
On the positive side, we find it’s true for altruism, kindness, physical activity, healthy weight, positivity, education level, and success. On the negative side (off-game behavior) we find contagious activities such as frowning, aggression, violence, video game playing, alcohol consumption, drug use, financially risky behavior such as betting, anxiety, and even workplace rudeness, among so many others.
How They Influence Us
For example, if our peer group is a bunch of hard workers, we are apt to be also. We won’t think about why unless hard work grates against our natural tendencies. If they’re a bunch of gamers, smokers, A-Players, or liars, we are more likely to be as well.
Choosing to spend time with others who model productive behaviors and are working toward goals consistent with ours helps us sustain on-game momentum. It also helps us feel a sense of connection from shared actions and interests.
The Bottom Line
We absorb the on-game mentality and performance level of the individuals we’re with. This means that we need to be critically aware of the power of those around us to affect our performance.
Ideally, we’ll be able to absorb the beneficial effects of high performers and shield ourselves from the off-game impacts of those in challenging phases of their journey.
Challenging phases are those filled with negativity, and achievement impeding learned helplessness. They sustain off game impacts as days go by without our stopping to Notice, Decide and Act to make things better.
Supporting our challenged friends can provide a strong boost. So, don’t shy away. Listen and help them use the game board to get back on track by managing what’s in their way.
Next, let’s see in Post #3 how people we’ve never been in contact with influence us.
The full set of social influences is infinite. Actions and emotions have a collective existence.
The key question are:What types of social influences most strongly boost your focus and success? How can you experience more of them?
Are the impacts you have on others what you want them to be?
