Belief Is Contagious

You have more power to influence things than you might realise. It doesn’t matter how many people follow you on social media or ask you for help, or even how loudly people cheer when you go on stage. We all have a group of people we impact, and our beliefs come from that group.

We naturally believe in things, but the exact things we believe are often affected by other people. Back when there were only a few sources of information, popular ideas were the main focus of our discussions because they were talked about the most. Someone who wasn’t part of the main group might believe something uncommon, like the Earth being flat or the moon landing being fake.

Now, with countless sources of information, the popular ideas have become less important. Any belief can feel common if you surround yourself with others who believe it. You could be around people who are sure that birds aren’t real, or you might find a group that supports the idea that a certain medicine works well. This can make you believe more strongly in those ideas.

Clearly, what we do is affected by other people. We know that the people we spend time with shape who we are. You can’t always choose your family, but you can choose who you stay in touch with and who you avoid. There are also people you can’t just “turn off” like a video game, like coworkers you don’t get along with, classmates you don’t like, or neighbours you find difficult.

I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values - and follow my own moral compass - then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.

Michelle Obama

Even though we can’t avoid these people, we can learn how to deal with them. We can set limits, protect ourselves emotionally, and not let them control us. We each have the power to decide who we let into our lives and who we keep out. It’s not just a nice thing to do; it’s really important.

You’ve probably heard the saying “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” But I think it’s more than that. The people around you affect you, and this impact goes beyond just five people. It’s bigger, and research suggests that it even includes people you’ve never met.

I read books by Kenneth Hagin and realised that he influenced what I believe. Someone noticed how I worshipped and inquired if I went to Christ Embassy because I worshipped like Pastor Chris. I’ve made some audacious remarks that symbolised my foundations under Bishop Oyedepo. I haven’t met any of these people, but they still shaped what I think.

It’s not just the people we’re around that influence us, but also what we read, watch, and involve ourselves in. I find it interesting that books are often seen as good and TV as bad. Reading is treated as automatically good, while television is treated like sugar or too much sun. Reading makes you smarter and makes you think. But somehow, watching TV is seen as harmful to your brain.

But why is that? Why can’t watching TV be as informative as reading a book? For instance, does watching a show like Game of Thrones make you less smart, while reading the books makes you smarter?

No matter how you look at it, the people around us, what we read, and what we watch all influence our lives.

We are impacted by who we are with, what we read, and what we watch, regardless of how we look at it. Having voices around us who inspire us and motivate us to strive for the best is a privilege, not a given. So let us remember that every day.