The law of averages

Gertrude Stein’s salon, 1920. 27 rue de Fleurus, 6th arrondissement of Paris.

The novelist Gertrude Stein moved from America to Paris in 1903.

She hosted a regular gathering (a salon) on Saturday evenings, and dedicated attendees included Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and Henri Matisse.

Heavy literary hitters. Artists too.

They were all living in Paris, and they hung out together on Saturday nights.

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We are the average of the five people we associate with the most.

You may have heard this idea before. It’s derived from the law of averages, which suggests the result of any given situation will be the average of all outcomes.

This idea was introduced by American entrepreneur, Jim Rohn.

And I think Jim was right.

Our social circles may be large. We may have dozens of friends, family members, colleagues, and clients. But the people we associate with the most shape us the most.

They shape our habits, our goals, and our values. How we see ourselves, the world, and our place in it.

We are the average of the five people we associate with the most.

We should choose wisely.