[giulivo]

I enjoyed the post but there is one sentence I can't understand:

> 2/ Only surround yourself with brilliant and positive people. Negative and mediocre people are everywhere and their influence on you can be devastating.

The thing is that I'm potentially one of those "mediocre" people and I don't see why my influence should be devastating.

For instance, what is wrong about being negative? Not that my days are about it but, when I find myself thinking about the society we've built, I feel depressed and helplessness. Our society runs on poverty, climate change, INC governments, wars. We got to a point where some perpetuate violence on people and animals for living.

Not only that but from a certain perspective, I've a reason to think about myself as a mediocre person, cause I managed to get lot of good things from life, including a fun job but I'm not the "cool kid" and, as such, I think I'm quite a mediocre guy.

So my question is as follows, what are you suggesting here: the best way to avoid any negativity get to you, is to eliminate these gloomy people from your life ?

Sounds more a strategy for distraction.

[stevewillows]

This may be based on Law 10 of the 48 Laws of Power.

"You can die from someone else’s misery. Emotional states are as infectious as diseases. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead."

– Robert Greene / 48 Laws of Power

http://cgt411.tech.purdue.edu/covey/48_laws_of_power.htm

[bradleysmith]

I thought the same thing. Great read.

[olegious]

If you think of yourself as mediocre, then you'll be mediocre- people that think negatively about themselves are no fun to be around.

There is a difference between the ability to critically analyze yourself and thinking of yourself negatively.

[cgh]

Globally speaking, there is less poverty and warfare than there has ever been in human history, or to put it another way, humanity is more prosperous and peaceful than it's ever been. By all objective measures except environmentally, 2013 is shaping up to be the greatest year in human history. Really, the greatest issue facing humanity today is climate change, not the other stuff you mention.

So take some cheer in that, I guess.

[ekm2]

Globally speaking, there is less poverty and warfare than there has ever been in human history

I have always been curious how people come to this conclusion.

[Dewie]

The human mind is so great that it came up with all modern society, and so irrational that it chooses to be miserable about people dying of famine and in wars on the other side of the world when there is nothing that the person can do about it and his life is devoid of any remotely immediate tragedies. What is wrong about ignoring (really, not so much ignore as simply not watching the news) things that you will do nothing about (most people will only help the proverbial children in Africa for the odd fundraiser) anyway, and instead focus on the fact that you are living a life that is much more pleasant and prosperous than what the news chooses to focus on? Ignorance truly is bliss.

[konstruktor]

Are you sure the people on the other side of the world, living in famine, also consider your ignorance bliss? What is more irrational: Choosing to ignore grave suffering that we have the resources to end, many times over, for the sake of avoiding bad feelings, or at least acknowledging the suffering of others? I think the latter is an essential step in bringing modern society to a state that can truly be called civilised.