How to Not Be Impressionable

I used to be an impressionable person. The people around me easily influenced my goals, thoughts, and behavior. This is the crux behind the saying, “you are the average of the five people closest to you.” While there is truth to that statement, I also believe that you are the average of the five books you keep closest to your heart.

My content diet is my antidote to impressionability. While it’s not a bad thing to be impressionable, I found that sometimes I would lose myself. I couldn’t tell if I was chasing a goal with genuine intent or because society told me to.

While I may not have the most agency with those I surround myself with, I have plenty of agency over my content diet.

Through books I can surround myself with whomever I like. This is why I enjoy memoirs and biographies. It’s my way of hanging out with history’s greatest minds.

Through books I can surround myself with people playing different games from me.

Through books I can redirect myself in case I get lost.

My books have shaped who I am and who I’ll become. For me, it’s a lifeline and a compass, no matter what environment I find myself in.