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Be a Friend What Is Stronger Than Will Power? Do you know companionship is stronger than will power? It's true, isn't it? Have you observed how often close friends persuade you to do what the group wants? Even if you have other plans or even if you don't approve of what they're trying to do, they will generally win. If they tend to lose your willing response a few times, they may kick you out of their close fellowship. People have a deep need to belong. We want to feel the approval and appreciation of other people. Many of our satisfactions come from knowing that other people think well of us. Generally our individual resolve melts before the will of our close friends. How many young men in jail have been motivated by their friends to commit those crimes for which they now are removed from society? On the other hand, groups of successful people often inspire one another. Due to some exciting synergy a group of business friends can together accomplish far more than the sum of their individual efforts. Successful people tend to influence one another to greater success, while failures spread frustration and discontent liberally. And, often, gangs of young men tempt one another, egg one another on, into violence or drug addiction. For good or ill, companionship is usually stronger than will power.
Very often frustrated writers get together to lament how their genius is being ignored. They tend to form a clique of such sympathetic intensity that they become less creative and ultimately they all find they cannot break out of the "failure gang." Similarly, sometimes a staff is determined that its job is so difficult, success is impossible. Yet, another group of people may do the job with ease and great success. The lesson is that behavior, attitudes, and abilities of groups of people are crucial to success. Some men, for example, buy failing radio stations for a pittance. They create a new staff and program format. A few years later the stations are worth millions. There are numerous professionals who specialize in turning failing groups of people (businesses, teams, staffs, organizations) into great successes.
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