Recently the NY Times published an article that has been seeping through the social networks on the web, through twitter, news aggregators and discussion forums. The article is based on a sociologists study of one towns health records in order to determine how much effect are friends really have on us. To what extent are social patterns present in our relationships, and to bring those to the surface. The results are fascinating.
The summary of the article is that many things are impacted by our friends. For example, obesity was traced in the relationships, and they found that if you have a friend who becomes obese, you have a high chance of becoming obese yourself, and if you have a friend of a friend become obese, there is still a chance you will become obese as well!!!
They go on to list other observations, like smoking, marriage, etc.
However the most interesting part of the article was the observations of happiness in social groups. Those with a few close knit friends were less happy than those with a multitude of friends and aquaintances, due to the interactions they would have with them on a regular basis.
As pheromone users, we already have access to feelings and habits that are of benfit to our social group. We can create happiness, invoke conversation, manifest sexual feelings, bring out honesty and enchant with attraction.
However, how can we use this principle of social connection to our own benefit?
By using A314 do we empower our group of friends to be leaders? By using attraction pheromones do we make our friends attractive to the opposite sex?
I’ve been thinking about stuff like this lately as well. People might be able to tell that it’s you that are wearing the pheromones… but I’d think the opposite could be true too… especially in a busy bar or something.
But if i’m wearing it and it’s making me confident and awesome… why wouldnt it do the same for the guy sitting right next to me trying to hit on the same women?
People are surprisingly good at pinpointing the source of a smell. You walk past someone in a crowded bar and he’s wearing cologne. Another hasn’t showered before coming here. You’d be able to tell which guy is smelling a bit off, wouldn’t you?
Doesn’t sound like anything new. There’s an old saying:
“Birds of a feather flock together”
You and your friends tend to share similar views and values. Then there’s also group think and mob mentality. We’re social creatures and we tend to pick up things from our friends. Language, slang, etc.
I think that the psychological changes we go through in a positive manner because of the use of pheros is the key.
A lot of people exhibit self esteem growth, better self worth, better social standings, etc. These things can spur you to do more to feel better about yourself. And what happens when your friends see you making these changes? They subconsciously and sometimes consciously make similar changes.
It’s like the basic concept behind IS,… If you shine the people around you are going to reflect that and shine too.