Emotional Osmosis
#big-ideas
We pick up on the emotions and behaviors of others. ==The Five Chimps Theory states that we become the five people that are closest to us==. No one understood this better than Napoleon Bonaparte. He surrounded himself with people that possessed the qualities he admired most, like Talleyrand. Napoleon saw the way he was with other people—his wit and charm—and tended to keep him close, enjoying and picking up on his qualities while he ruled. The people around you will inflict you with their gravities. Avoid people that possess your defects at all costs. Be around people that reinforce the positive assumptions.