Social Capital and Personal Achievement

I have, for better or worse, decided to participate in a triathlon this summer. Nothing too serious, no Ironman or anything, but it will still be the most ambitious athletic pursuit I've ever gone after, so that's something. Two of my friends have also thrown their hats into the ring, which brought to mind a quotation from a web site I frequent while preparing for rugby season:

"Your results and expectations are directly related to those people with whom you spend your time. If you're trying to get strong, then get around strong people. Get around those people who see you as you'll be, not as you are." (Dave Tate, Powerlifting Coach)

I believe that this is absolutely true. We are social creatures. This is not up for debate, not really. Even if, due to psychological or hormonal reasons, you're uncomfortable around others, those others will impact your life. We live our lives in an ocean of social interaction - this is only avoidable by massive effort. To succeed, to pursue and to overcome, is dependent upon those people in your network. Your ability to activate and engage with your social capital is going to directly affect your ability to reach your goals.

This is not an easy fact to swallow. Do you want to run a marathon? You're going to have a much easier time of it if your close friends are also interested in distance running. That's not to say that if you really want to go the 26.2, you need to surround yourself with folks who can run a sub-6 mile - rather, you need to have people in your life who are supportive in both word and deed. Even if they only stand at your 12-mile point with a bottle of water and a couple pouches of energy goo, that support will improve your chances of success.

Not to allow folks to externalize their responsibilities, but hey - if you want to improve your eating habits? Stop having lunch with the crew who thinks a salad comes in a deep-fried tortilla shell. You don't have to get rid of your friends, just reconsider who can help you where.

Social capital is an excellent tool, especially when you're talking about densely nested networks with many different individuals in different industries. However, to find oneself deeply involved in a social network is also to accept and behave according to that network's norms and codes. Sometimes that means eating with only one hand. Sometimes that means eating a dozen buffalo wings four times a week. But we must keep in mind that our social capital, while oft beneficial, can carry with it a certain behavioral inertia that can be hard to overcome. Sometimes, the only way to change your own behavior in order to pursue a goal is to take time to free yourself from the habits your social capital can pressure upon you.

Dave Tate is right, although I don't know that you need to totally surround yourself with those who share your every goal, just try to remind yourself who your friends are. The best drinking buddies don't always make the best cycling partners. Sometimes they do - but not always. In a very significant way, if you want to pursue and fulfill your own greatest potential, it is necessary to be aware of who you surround yourself with.