Have your friends made you a chicken?

[Diana]

I'm not talking about a literal chicken... or even about being a coward!

I read this great article today, and it touched on a subject I feel is super important. The people who are in your life influence the kind of person you are. This is why on Iwaku you'll see me be very bossy about the kind of atmosphere we present as a community.

One of the great questions:

Have you ever stopped to wonder if your group of friends is indicative of the type of person you are, or whether you are a product of the group of people around you? Did you draw them to you, or did you change to become like them?

Have you? And I challenge you to this also:

Take an inventory of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Are they what you want to become, or are you happy you aren't more like them?

 

[Kitti]

There's a proverb much like this handed down from many different languages that translates to "Tell me who your friends are and I will you you who you are."

Anyway, I'm actually not the most outgoing person in person, which leads to many of my friends having chose to be friends with me. For every person, the type of people that they draw to them and keep friendly company with does say a lot about who they are, even if it's not always obvious what connects the people. I certainly think that my personality, despite this, tends to be one of the stronger influences in a group. I rarely change who I am to suit the people I keep company with in any drastic way and tend to sway people with my opinions.

There are nice characteristics to the people I spend the most time with. If I had to choose, I'd say...
Of the people that come to mind that I spend time with, what I'd most like to absorb from them is more of their 'don't give a damn if I impress anyone' mentality. Not too much, working hard and impressing people are often linked for me, but somewhat so that I stress and am anxious less.

 

[October Knight]

I only strive to impress myself.

I think that irritates a lot of people.

 

[Sakura]

Three people I spent most of my time with in the past six months and what I learned:

C is my roommate. She's an international student. Super independent and super kind. She's always giving me advice on life and being a woman in society and standing up for myself. She's been a great influence, I think! I've picked up a lot of home economics from her. Things like reusing cereal boxes for storing things prettily on tabletops and making pencil boxes to organize drawers instead of buying organizers. She eats healthy and knows a lot of cool home-made recipes for things like hair conditioner or face masks. She's courageous and not afraid to question others. I liked that headstrong personality and self-perseverance about her. She reminds me that I need to be more independent and learn to rely on myself.

M is my best friend. He's a genuine softy at heart, but a super tough guy on the outside. He's been the one who's randomly appeared whenever I was crying to give me a hug. Feels like he doesn't have any problems, but I think it's just that he's well composed and very very understanding. Never thought I'd meet anyone who could understand me the way that he does. Even if I'm walking funny or sighing too much, he notices. I wish I was as observant and kind-hearted as he is. Also, I wanna be tough! He always teases me for not being tough enough.

R is my other best friend. He's warmhearted and kind, but a fun lover. The one thing I learn from him is to be straightforward. He hates playing games with girls.

That reminds me. I always wonder why my friends are so amazing compared to me.
M has a perfect GPA. He works out and he's got a beautiful heart. He's so kind and genuinely cares about people and understands them. He is super smart and can engineer absolutely anything. C is an international student and she's on an exchange program. when she returns, she'll be graduating and she's worked hard to pay her own tuition fees.

After we get our grades at the end of semesters, I always look at their perfect grades and wonder why we are such good friends. I'm the C-B student, struggling in physics and often emotionally up or down, relying on them all the time and being super dramatic, but somehow, they love me.

Friendship is an incredible thing.

 

[Kooriryu]

Motherfuckers never stop gettin' up into my business, "Pardon me, do you have a pen?", "Hey excuse me, do you have the time?", "Do you know where this office is?", "I need to find this person, do you know where they are?", "Does this make my butt look big?", "Are you going to Other Random Motherfucker's kickback?", "You wanna come to my graduation ceremony?"

In that order.

 

[Ms.Wrong]

I ONLY HANG OUT WITH YOU ALL(IKR... what a Effin loser!) AND YOU ALL ARE CRAZY BISHES O:<
No wonder im as crazy as i am. I BLAME YOU DIANA!

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

I really believe the way you carry yourself determines what kind of people you draw to you. My friends are pretty protective of me, as I am of them.

The circle of friends I have collected were all drawn to me or webbed from other friends. The first real friend I ever made was thrown in front of me by someone I didn't even like! Everyone I met through them have been people that I kind of admire for their openness and how they are able to be themselves no matter what. My personality is very shy and submissive; I really don't show my real self to anyone. They took me in and yes I started to change, though not drastically. They sort of taught me to stand up for myself. In classes I would have something to say but be too shy to and one of my friends would get the teacher's attention for me. I think my friends have brought out good qualities in me and let me know that I can be myself.