From David Brooks' column Kansas City Star July 16, 2014
". . .our decisions (about career paths) are shaped by the networks of people around us more than we dare realize. . . .First there is contagion. People absorb memes, ideas and behaviors from each other the way they catch a cold. . .if your friends are obese, you're likely to be obese. If your neighbors play fair, you are likely to play fair. . . .
. . .People with vast numbers of acquaintances have more job opportunities than people with fewer but deeper friendships.
Finally, there is the power of the extended mind. There is also a developed body of research on how much our consciousness is shaped by the people around us. Let me simplify it with a classic observation: Each close friend you have brings out a version of yourself that you could not bring out on your own."
Brooks goes on to compare life to a soccer game as opposed to baseball. . .controlling your personal space is essential to success.
