Inadvertent influence

People are obsessed with how they can control other people and yet don’t realize that every day they inadvertently influence many of the people around them.

Instead of wondering about control, ask yourself how you might be inadvertently influencing someone in a negative way.

  • If your attitude sucks, the people around you will be grumpy too.
  • If you smile, other people tend to smile.
  • If you’re pessimistic, other people will follow suit. Same thing with optimism.
  • If you’re stubborn, other people will follow suit.
  • If you’re there for others, they’ll be there for you.

These are just a few of the ways we influence other people, perhaps in ways that are counter-productive to our own ends.