I considered this recently and while we do choose our company (wisely or not) is it possible to pick and choose? You can't choose you family, co-workers, and the partners of your family, so do they influence you, or do you wish you could disassociate yourself? Is it egotistical to cut ties with people because you don't consider them good enough? Recently I have to decide on some online communities where I felt they were not on my wavelength, and to abandon them simply because interacting was not fun and to be honest most people were not very clever and I didn't wish to be part of that community. Online and in real life, the company you choose to keep does reflect on you, and does influence you subconsciously. Are you conscious of that?
For me it all depends on how much you let people influence you as an individual. If you have your own opinions and beliefs and you have a strong character, the people who surround you shouldn't influence you all that much.
I think it impossible to surround yourself with like-minded people. That's why some people choose a solitary lifestyle. Because they don't feel they fit in anywhere and know that most of the friends they have aren't real friends. I wish it was easy to surround yourself with like-minded people but you'd have to wait a really long time before you found someone like that.
Hmm, what a curious question. There are some cases when you don't have a choice in the matter like your workplace or your family, sometimes you have to put up with them because of a number of reasons like love or necessity. Then are times when you want to be around people who think and feel like you are, you want someone to share your hobbies or interests and whatnot and you break up friendships or make new ones just to get them.
You can't totally abandon the people whom you don't like or who don't have your mindset. Believe me, as an introvert I tried to be friend only with people who see everything from my Point of view. But, I didn't succeed. There were always some people whom I needed even though they didn't have anything common with me.
When you decided to go out with a not smart people, you wil become also as they are. I am convinced of this.
