Passion Struck with John R. Miles - How Your Environment Influences Who You Become EP 102

Episode Date: January 28, 2022

Our environment continually influences our lives, our decision-making process, and how we interact with the world around us. In psychology, there is a concept known as 'the social multiplier effect' based on the principle that high levels of one attribute or behavior amongst one's peers can have spillover effects on an individual. In today's episode, John discusses this social multiplier effect and how your environment influences who you become. BetterHELP is making professional therapy accessible, affordable, and convenient — so anyone who struggles with life's challenges can get help anytime and anywhere. BetterHELP offers licensed, trained, experienced, and accredited psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and board licensed professional counselors. BetterHELP wants you to start living a happier life AND is offering Passion Struck listeners 10% off your first month by visiting www.betterhelp.com/passionstruck. Thank you for watching this video. I hope you keep up with the weekly podcast episodes I post on the channel, subscribe to, and share your learnings with those who need to hear them. Your comments are my oxygen, so please take a second and say 'Hey' ;). -- ► Subscribe to My YouTube Channel Here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnRMiles -- John R Miles is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of Passion Struck. This full-service media company helps people live intentionally by creating best-in-class educational and entertainment content. John is also a prolific public speaker, venture capitalist, author, and has been named to the ComputerWorld Premier 100 IT Leaders. John is the host of the #PassionStruckPodcast, a show focused on exploring the mindset and philosophy of the world's highest achievers to learn their lessons to living intentionally. Passion Struck aspires to speak to the humanity of people in a way that makes them want to live better, be better and impact. Stay tuned for John's latest project, his upcoming book, which will be published in summer 2022. Learn more about me: https://johnrmiles.com. SHOW NOTES 0:00 Introduction 1:04 4x4x48 Challenge 2:35 BetterHELP 4:19 Social Evolution of Man 5:45 Social Multiplier Effect 7:17 Social Multiplier Effect on Personal Performance 11:05 Mirror Neurons 13:24 Learning Through Imitation: Automatic Imitation 14:44 The Things We do Influences Who We Become 15:46 Becoming a Force for Positive Influence FOLLOW JOHN ON THE SOCIALS * Twitter: https://twitter.com/Milesjohnr * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnrmiles.c0m * Medium: https://medium.com/@JohnRMile s​ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_r_miles * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milesjohn/ * Blog: https://passionstruck.com/blog/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passion_struck_podcast/ * Gear: https://www.zazzle.com/store/passion_struck/ New to this channel and the passion-struck podcast? Check out our starter packs which are our favorite episodes grouped by topic, to allow you to get a sense of all the podcast has to offer. Go to https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. Like this? Please join me on my new platform for peak performance, life coaching, self-improvement, intentional living, and personal growth: https://passionstruck.com/ and sign up for our email list.

Welcome visionaries, creators, innovators, entrepreneurs, leaders and growth seekers of all types to the Passion Struck podcast. Hi, I'm John Miles, a peak performance coach, multi-industry CEO, maybe veteran and entrepreneur on a mission to make Passion Ho-Viral for millions worldwide. do so by sharing with you an inspirational message and interviewing eye achievers from all walks of life who unlock their secrets and lessons to become an action-struck. The purpose of our show is to serve you the listener. By giving you tips, tasks and activities you can use to achieve peak performance and for two action-driven life you have always wanted to have. Now, let's become PassionStrike. Welcome back to episode 102 of the PassionStrike podcast. And thank you, each and every one of you who comes back, weekly to listen and learn, to live better, be better, and impact the world.

And if you haven't heard me talk about this before, on March 4th through 6th, I will be participating in the 4x4x48 challenge. My involvement in PassionStrupt Sponsorship is focused on veteran nonprofits who are helping victims of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder find alternate functional medicine approaches to solving their unique needs. If you're interested in sponsoring either my team or one of the charities, I will put a link to it in the show notes that you can check out. Today's fan of the week is Nina from the United Kingdom, who writes, Keep up the amazing work. I love listening to you every day and please keep up the great work.

Thank you Nina so much for taking the time to not only listen to the podcast but leave us a review and thank you to all of you who leave reviews for us either on Spotify or iTunes. They make such a difference for us and grow in the popularity of this podcast. Today's episode I'm going to do on how your environment influences who you become. I'm going to go into many different things, including recognizing the effect of actions of others on our personal performance and our pursuit of living life intentionally. Thank you for choosing PassionStruck and choosing me to be your hosting guide on your journey to live in a no regrets life. Now, let the journey begin.

We will be right back to the PassionStruck podcast. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp Online Therapy. And we often discuss mental help on the PassionStruct podcast and dealing with the stigma of seeking it. Is there something interfering with your happiness and preventing you from achieving your goals? For me, depression and anxiety significantly impacted my life until I took charge, got over my embarrassment and sought out help. And luckily, there is a platform now that makes it so much easier to take that step and get therapy.

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Now back to passion struck. Have you ever been in situations or places where you know deep within yourself that you could be achieving much more than you are but fail to do so because of the prevailing conditions and people around you? Do you feel like things would be so much better if only you were somewhere different? These thoughts and feelings are actually valid. And there is scientific proof that the actions of others

and the environment in which we live ultimately influence who we become. By nature, humans have social tendencies. Human social behaviors are directly learned from a social environment and through social interaction rather than from genetic causes and dynamics. From mankind's earliest days as hunter-gatherers, we learned to coexist in communities, growing and harvesting crops together, hunting in groups,

and learning survival skills from one another. As the years went by, and we grew into more sophisticated societies, to this day and for the remaining duration of our coexistence as humans, we will continue to need and be influenced by the actions of others. It is often said that no man is an island and this statement holds true throughout all time. Therefore, our interdependence bounds us to be either positively or negatively affected by a way of life and doings of those within our immediate environments. In psychology, there is a concept known as the social multiplier effect based on the principle that higher levels of one attribute or behavior against one peer can have spillover effects on an individual. It implies that as an individual gains more peers who have a certain attribute or characteristic,

they will experience a greater tendency to adopt this attribute. Several researchers have researched and proven many areas where this social effect has played out. Among the notable ones include Scott Carroll and James West, who have shown that a person's friend's fitness affects one's fitness and that each out of shape individual creates two additional out of shape individuals through their social interaction. Some others have found that the tendency towards juvenile delinquency, including peer cheating and smoking,

corresponds with the rise of a number of young people taking up such vices. In like manner, neighborhoods where crime is prevalent only lead to susceptibility of members and occupants of homes in those areas to lives of criminal activity. Of fact, the things a person is constantly exposed to, influence the things they eventually do, and depending on what those things are, it can either lead to a virtuous cycle or a vicious one. So now let's talk about the social multiplier effect and its impact on personal performance.

A very notable example of just how much the actions of others can play a significant role in what we achieve or fail to achieve can be taken from the famous story of Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile and under four minutes. Before that feat was broken, it was a wide spread belief that it wasn't humanly possible to run a mile under four minutes. As several athletes had tried and only come close, but not close enough to actually accomplish beating that goal. However, in May of 1954, Bannister, having gone through several training sessions and believing in himself,

went on to run the mile in three minutes 59.4 seconds. The amazing thing that happened after he beat the record of running a mile just under four minutes was that the following month, John Landy, ran it in three minutes 58 seconds. Landy was a man who previously said, frankly, I think the four minute mile is beyond my capabilities.

Two seconds may not sound like much, but to me, it's like trying to break through a brick wall. Someone may achieve the four-minute mile. The world is wanting so desperately, but I don't think I can. Who would have thought he actually had it in him to do what he thought he couldn't do? Not only did Landy go on to break Bannister's record, but many others did as well. Bannister himself eventually set a British record of three minutes, 46.3 seconds.

It's interesting to know that the current world record stands at three minutes, 43.13 seconds. This proves that the inability to earlier run in under four minutes was merely a result of self-imposed mental barriers, resulting from the prevailing thoughts of people at that time. Thankfully, Roger Bannister was able to free himself from the reigns of popular societal opinion

and achieve what was once deemed impossible, paving the ways for others to do likewise. In like manner, there are times where we either unconsciously or subconsciously impose barriers to things that we can achieve because of the simple fact that we haven't seen others do them. Another notable story of someone who learned to rise above the negative influence of his immediate environment is that of the famous actor Dwayne the Rock Johnson. Johnson grew up in an extremely rough environment and had a very difficult upbringing. By the time he was 16, he had been

arrested up to eight times for various offenses. His time went by, he took responsibility for his life and got out of the hostile environment where he found himself. He later got into wrestling and became a professional before getting into the film industry and having the successful movie career that we all see today. Now he gives back by visiting prisons and encouraging inmates to take control of their lives. There are countless other examples of the influence of prevalent societal thoughts and actions on the state of being of people, and individual efforts to rise above them have paved ways

and opened doors to new possibilities. They include technological inventions and innovations such as the airplane, the computer, space shuttles that were just not too long ago seen as impossibilities, becoming regular day to day utilities to new cures for elements that were once considered fatal. So you see, it really all lies in the mind and we can transcend our immediate environment to function at our very best.

One very interesting neuroscientific discovery is of the nervous system cells known as mirror neurons. These are tiny neurological structures that fire both when we perceive action and when we perform them, providing deep insight into the true social nature of the brain. Have you ever watched a movie or video in which someone achieved something extraordinary and felt like you could also do that after watching? Also in the same vein, have you watched one in which sad emotions prevailed and afterwards felt sad and tired yourself? Or have you noticed that you feel happy when people around you are happy?

And sad or depressed when people around you are pessimistic people? These are basic depictions of just how mirror neurons operate to bring about emotional contagion, a process through which a person or group influences the emotions and emotional behavior of another person or group, unconsciously or unconsciously through emotional induction.

When we view an action performed by another human or group of people, the brains mirror neurons subconsciously adopt the emotions and thoughts associated with those actions. This goes beyond just when we view videos, but clearly we see and observe in our immediate physical environment. Giacomo Rizolati, a notable neuroscientist, said, we are social beings. Our survival depends on our understanding, the actions, intentions, and emotions of others. Mirror neurons allow us to understand other people's minds not only through conceptual reasoning but through imitation.

Anatomical and psychological observations from brain imaging experiments have shown that the human inferior frontal cortex and superior, bridal lobe are active when the person performs an action and also when the person sees another individual performing an action. It is reported that they could be the neuro basis of introspection, awareness of others, and ultimately of self-awareness. These findings show that as humans, we inherently possess the ability to imbibe certain behaviors just by observing them or having people around us to visit them. Now, let's talk about automatic imitation.

Have you caught yourself yawning after seeing someone else do so? I bet most of us have. According to some experts, this is induced by a process known as automatic imitation. It refers to cases in which an individual having observed a body movement unintentionally performs a similar body movement or alters how it is performed. This process is inherent in every human and what facilitates

learning through imitation, a type of social learning whereby new behaviors are acquired by imitation. No one learns in a vacuum as we are all social creatures who often learn as a direct result of those around us. A child growing up automatically picks up the language spoken in his or her immediate environment, just as he, she does other actions such as brushing, eating, or washing dishes. As we grow, this trait remains in us and we continue to subconsciously pick up attributes from people that surround us.

In a nutshell, we learn whether we like it or not, hence we should pay attention to the lessons we're picking and make sure they only help us to become authentic and better versions of ourselves. So I've just unraveled a lot there. So let's talk about some takeaways and action points that you can apply in your life. The purpose of this podcast has been to open our understanding

to the reality of the fact that there are factors outside of us that affect what's going on within us and shape the way we behave, the things we do, and ultimately who we become. Having known these realities, it's vital that we're not just aware, but take responsibility for our growth and being our authentic selves. The truth is, there are lots of factors in life that we cannot control. Things that go way beyond our direct choices. But, despite

this, we have to consciously guard and protect ourselves against societal factors that could adversely influence and affect our lives. More so, it is a fact that we can influence the environment that we are in and make our own choices. Sure, it doesn't come easy, but it is very possible and achievable. So anytime you start feeling out of control, realize the power you possess to influence your choices of good and put it to use. Become a force for positive influence. There is a popular quote by Narian Williamson that ends in the words, and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. This tells us that when we learn to live above our limiting social circumstances, we get to inspire other people to do the same. So always remember that you are part of the collective whole and your thoughts and actions matter greatly. Recognize and optimize the power you have to impact and influence someone else's life for good and go on to live the best possible life that you can. Thank you for joining us today and I hope you enjoyed this message. And if you did like it, we would surely appreciate

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slash starter packs. And if you haven't checked it out before, please go to our YouTube channel at JohnRMiles, where we have over 225 different videos to bring you inspiration. And if there's a person you would like to see me interview, and we've got some great ones coming up, or there's a topic like today's that you'd like to hear me discuss, please DM me on Instagram, or reach out to me on LinkedIn at JohnMiles. And until next time, live life passion strike. Thank you so much for joining us. The purpose of our show is to make Passion Go viral. And we do that by sharing with you the knowledge and skills that you need to unlock your hidden potential. If you want to hear more, please subscribe to the Passion Strike podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to your podcasts at.

And if you absolutely love this episode, we'd appreciate a five-star rating on iTunes, and you sharing it with three of your most growth-minded friends, so they can post it as well to their social accounts and help us grow our passion-struck community. If you'd like to learn more about the show and our mission, you can go to passionstruck.com where you can sign up for our newsletter, look at our tools, and also download the show notes for today's episode. Additionally, you can listen to us every Tuesday and Friday for even more inspiring content. And remember, make a choice, work hard, and step into your sharp edges.

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