This is the age of glorifying learning. Regardless of the outcome, every action you take is given the badge: “Well, at least you learned something.”

Surely the best way to learn is through experiencing various things. Through a trip, you could learn that you like mountains over beaches. Through a party, you learn that you vibe better to classical music and a book. Through an internship, you learn what kind of team you want to work with, and so on. These learnings are always believed to help you in life, help in defining yourself and shape your decisions.

In the same way, forming bonds with different kinds of people teaches you lessons and some unnecessary ones. People aren’t all good when they seem that way. Winnowing out the real ones is the key to learning the right lessons and staying away from the rest. The worst possible lesson for a rational adult person is to get involved in crimes and drugs to an uncontrollable extent through the company of the wrong-doers. However, warning oneself and others of such relations is easier compared to another kind of wrong lesson. The bad influence is clearly visible in the former. The latter is the slow and unnoticeable change in a person’s personality that completely changes one from before but not as terrible as the former.

Being corrupted with rudeness and no empathy is the real poison that slowly creeps up on one. Being among people who are insensitive about their actions and their consequences makes you think what they did is okay because “hey, they got away with it.”. If you’ve grown up in a giving and kind household, it will be surprising the first time you encounter someone being selfish towards you. If you’re not careful about interacting with those people, you’ll face such situations more until you don’t notice it anymore. Slowly, it stops affecting you and you don’t give it a second thought. The poison shows its effects after this when you act the same way and don’t notice it. Your company, where you learned this from, won’t make you aware of this change. This is when your real friends if any, rescue you.

If you like to introspect, you’ll pick up on your new habits and behaviours and know when to step away. You’ll notice how the real ones are those for a reason. You’ll know what to beware of and what to embrace the next time you meet new people. You’ll have learned yet another lesson.