Thread: What city you live in. Who you date or marry. Which job you choose.
We think we make these choices ourselves. The unseen hand in them all is the networks that surround us.
Networks are key to life's 7 big crossroads:
nfx.com/post/your-life…
We think we make these choices ourselves. The unseen hand in them all is the networks that surround us.
Networks are key to life's 7 big crossroads:
nfx.com/post/your-life…
Crossroad #1 - What Family You're Born Into
Life's most influential networks have high interaction frequency, are adopted early in life, have many overlapping strong ties & shared connections.
In all of these measures, few of our other networks in life can rival family
Life's most influential networks have high interaction frequency, are adopted early in life, have many overlapping strong ties & shared connections.
In all of these measures, few of our other networks in life can rival family
Crossroad #2 - High School Network
High school networks are important because they're influential when we're 1st forming our identities / worldviews.
In high school, forming a large number of strong relationships can help set you up for a vibrant future.
High school networks are important because they're influential when we're 1st forming our identities / worldviews.
In high school, forming a large number of strong relationships can help set you up for a vibrant future.
Crossroad #3 - College Network
Choose your college based on its network of students and their geographic network over all else.
If you choose the right people to be around in college, it will lead to a virtuous cycle & have an exponential impact on your life.
Choose your college based on its network of students and their geographic network over all else.
If you choose the right people to be around in college, it will lead to a virtuous cycle & have an exponential impact on your life.
Crossroad #4 - First Job
The relationships you form during your first job are the seed of your professional network which influences the arc of your career — from how you think about work, to how you’re known, to the geography where you have better job access for a long time.
The relationships you form during your first job are the seed of your professional network which influences the arc of your career — from how you think about work, to how you’re known, to the geography where you have better job access for a long time.
Crossroads #5 - Marriage/Choosing a Life Partner
Marriage is one of the most important decisions in life. You're choosing someone else's full network to add to yours. This person will share the very center of your network hierarchy with you.
Marriage is one of the most important decisions in life. You're choosing someone else's full network to add to yours. This person will share the very center of your network hierarchy with you.
Crossroad #6 - Where You Live
Where you live largely determines who you know. physical proximity is predictive of network formation. Cities are like scaled-up colleges. They do a great job of helping us form networks because they are social + physical networks themselves.
Where you live largely determines who you know. physical proximity is predictive of network formation. Cities are like scaled-up colleges. They do a great job of helping us form networks because they are social + physical networks themselves.
Crossroads #7 - Reassessments
The most lasting and effective way to change your life is to change who you’re surrounded by. Since networks so powerfully shape who we are and what we do, the best way to change ourselves is to change our networks.
The most lasting and effective way to change your life is to change who you’re surrounded by. Since networks so powerfully shape who we are and what we do, the best way to change ourselves is to change our networks.
This is a big limitation at the way we look at self-development. We think we can just roll out of bed one day, make a few new year’s resolutions, and become a new person. But this ignores the biggest part in the equation of who you are — the network force.
For more on how to navigate life's big decisions more strategically, see my latest essay here:
nfx.com/post/your-life…
nfx.com/post/your-life…
