I can’t remember exactly where I heard this expression the first time, but it is one that whenever I think of it really stops me in my tracks and makes me think. The basic idea is this; the five people that you spend most of your time with are the five people who influence the way in which you behave and act in the outer world, and the way in which you perceive, think and feel in the inner world of your mind.
With this in mind the question then becomes “Do I really want to become the average sum of the five people that I currently spend the most time with, or would it be best for me to seek out some better company on a regular basis?” You can think about this not in a snobbish way, just in a way that reflects what I would call your “enlightened self interest”. This basically means that if you want to benefit the world, first you need to look after yourself, and this involves keeping company that is actively going to improve who you are.
I think when one gets to a certain level in one’s inner growth, it is actually possible to hang out with people well below one’s level of consciousness and know how not to be influenced. But I would actually say that such a person is actually at quite a high level of development, and I can almost guarantee you that they will be working very hard to seek out good company, as they know how good it is for them.
Understanding how important the company we keep is, planning our life in such a way that we are regularly in contact with people that influence our behaviour and world view in a good way is something we should look at and prioritize regularly as a part of our mental fitness routine!

© Toby Ouvry 2010, you are welcome to use this article, but you MUST seek Toby’s permission first!