Your sphere of influence describes the people in your network with whom you have some influence over. However, it also works in the opposite way, if you allow it.

As humans, we automatically compare ourselves to those around us. This comparison often affects how we think. How we think affects how we act, which in turn affects our habits and lifestyles.

By changing our sphere of influence, we change the people we compare ourselves to, which changes our habits and lifestyles.

However, I think we can change how our sphere of influence affects us also by thinking about how we compare ourselves to others.

First, we can just ignore them. This might be a good option because we don’t know what hardship they are going through, and this hardship affects their actions and judgments. It also takes a bit of self-conviction, because you still need to be able to act in a noble way.

Second, we take what lessons we can from them, and move on. This is probably the best way, because they may have learned good lessons that we haven’t had the opportunity to learn. We just have to know how to adjust those lessons for ourselves, and we have to know when those lessons can be harmful to ourselves too.

The third option is to take on all their lessons, but this is not only impossible, it’s also stupid. We don’t know what experiences they have had that led to their actions. We also don’t know what other lessons combined to their current existence.

By all means, change your sphere of influence to suit your needs. Just take in the lessons you get when comparing yourself to others with a bit of caution.