(Music-matching!)
Pygmalion was a bit, weird Cypriot sculptor. He was disgusted by the debauched lifestyle of the local women —it looks like his morality was also too thin— and he decided to stay away from them by living a celibate life, focused on his work: sculpting. He started crafting the woman of his dreams out of marble. One day, Pygmalion completed his creation and realized he was hopelessly in love with it. He called her Galatea.
Pygmalion was so obsessed with Galatea that he prayed to Aphrodite with all his soul and heart to bring her to life. Aphrodite, guided by his devotion, secretly visited Pygmalion's studio and got stunned by the beauty of Galatea. She ended up granting his wish and bringing Galatea to life. They lived happily ever after and even had a son, Paphos.
This Greek myth gives name to a psychological effect: the Pygmalion effect. In the myth's case, Pygmalion outdid what he expected about himself. After believing that the statue was alive, it ended up being that way. From the Psychology perspective, it describes how high expectations can lead to improved performance in a given area. Or said in another way, the potential influence that a person can exercise on other by believing in the other's performance.
You probably had thought in school when reading the above. It's perhaps the most common place where you've experimented this; that good teacher that believed in you unchaining your full potential. Thinking a bit deeper, this effect is present throughout all steps in our lives as it depends on the people we get surrounded by —' dime con quién te juntas y de diré como eres' or, 'someone is known by the company they keep', in English—.
Maybe you're wondering, and yes, it can work in the opposite direction. This is when the other person's esteem is affected negatively by the 3rd party's input. In this case, it is called the Golem effect.
This is not new —like a good chunk of the ideas I talk about— and it has been present since humans are humans. I even mentioned briefly in _pito, pito… paraphrasing Naval. Or James Clear (in Atomic Habits) puts it as one of the best ways to habit-forming. And this is curious, how the group can affect the individuals and, simultaneously, feedback itself. We always want to improve, and we're afraid of others' opinions. If you get surrounded by a good group of people of your same interests, you will improve as an individual just to avoid standing out badly. Also, the group average will tend to elevate for the same reason after adding all individual contributions. That's reason group studying is a good idea, or coworking places or associations can lead to innovative outputs —I used to bet against a good friend our daily breakfast to force ourselves to wake up early and study. The one that didn't show up on time would have to pay for the other's breakfast the day after. Hi Fran.
This topic is not only important from a personal growth perspective but also from the hedonistic side of life —an important one and maybe the most.
Not all company is suitable for every context and vice versa. However, in the majority of cases, the company is the deterministic factor.
I've been overthinking about this lately, and I always arrive at the same answer. It does not matter where, what, or when; the only thing that matters is with whom.
Be flexible, and learn what context suits better the company you love. This will save you lots of frustration. In case your company is also flexible, and it does not matter the context but the moment, grab them and don't let them go; you've found a treasure, and that's the people you wanna be surrounded by as time goes. Easy plans and easy moments where everyone vibes at the same frequency are heaven in Earth.
Remember also that the company you have to suffer the most is yourself. Be easy and be kind to yourself. Enjoy your own company.
Buen inicio de semana
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