Every year I audit the five people with the most influence over my life. And every year, at least one of them has to go.
I was standing in Sparta this week when I was reminded why.
My dad and I, on a cultural tour through Greece.
We stopped at the site where the most feared warriors in the ancient world built their civilization.
Not through numbers or resources. Through standard.
The Spartans were ruthless about who made the cut.
Every element of their culture ran on one question: does this make us stronger, or weaker?
I’m not endorsing the methods 😆
But the principle has survived 2,500 years for a reason.
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
A 30-year study tracking 12,000 people found that if a close friend becomes obese, your chances of becoming obese jump by 57%.
Behaviors, standards, mindsets..
they spread like viruses through your inner circle.
And in 2025, two or three of those “five people” aren’t even people.
They’re the algorithm. The news feed.
The account that makes you feel like you’re losing by comparison.
You don’t need a cliff.
But you do need a standard.
Look at the five voices with the most influence over your life right now (online and offline)
Are they the standard you want to become?
or the drag you’re quietly trying to escape?
—
Who do you need to proverbially throw off the cliff this week?
PS: Enjoy this?
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