Sanskrit Proverb - Thought

Faults and virtues arise from our companions.-Sanskrit proverb

According to this ancient saying, what is good in us andwhat is bad, our strong points and our weak points alike,develop because of constant association. When we associatewith calm people, we become calm; when we associate withagitated people, we become agitated. When we frequent thecompany of people who are wise, we become wiser; when ourcompany is otherwise, we become otherwise too.

We've all experienced this. When we have spent an eveningwith someone who is overwrought, we come home so agitatedourselves that we can't get to sleep. But there is apositive side of the power of association: we absorb goodqualities too, by spending time with people who embody them.Whenever we associate with people, we participate in their mental states.

[Source: Mail forward from my friend Sunita]