The Invisible Power of Environment: How Where You Are Shapes Who You Become

Want to change your life? Change your surroundings

If you want to be a swimmer, you must get in the water. If you want to be sober, avoid the bar. Want to improve at chess? Sit at a chessboard. Want to eat healthier? Stop bringing junk food home. These examples may sound simple, but they reveal a profound truth: our environments quietly but powerfully shape our habits and outcomes.

Environment: The Silent Architect

Both our physical and social environments act as silent architects of our behavior. There’s an old saying: if you surround yourself with four of anything, you’ll become the fifth. The company you keep and the places you frequent are part of the scaffolding for your future self.

What’s Your Water?

David Foster Wallace’s famous keynote recounts a parable that asks: “What’s water?” The most pervasive forces in our lives are often invisible to us. We swim in currents of encouragement or discouragement, stress or support, competition or collaboration, rarely pausing to consider how these environments shape our choices and moods.

Choose Your Waters Wisely

To thrive, reflect on the environments you inhabit, both literal and psychological. Are you surrounded by challenge or complacency? Cynicism or optimism? Rivalry or camaraderie? The environments you choose, and those you tolerate, quietly mold your habits, values, and sense of possibility.

Early Career? Sample Different Environments

Especially early in your career, expose yourself to a variety of work environments. Only by sampling different “waters” can you discover where you can contribute and grow most. Employers often value a two-year commitment: the first year is for learning, the second for delivering value. Stay long enough to learn from both the challenges and the triumphs.

The People Factor

When considering a new role, the team is as important as the work. The right colleagues can transform a job; the wrong ones can make even exciting work a daily grind. Teams are messy, and even the best workplaces will test your patience. Calibrate your expectations, protect yourself from the worst downsides, and seek environments where health and growth are possible.

Demanding vs. Toxic

Not every demanding workplace is toxic. High standards and clear procedures can create a culture of excellence. Ask yourself: Who gets promoted, and why? Are commitments honored? Is there transparency and fairness? These are the true markers of a healthy ecosystem.

When to Move On

Truly toxic environments where blame, dishonesty, and power struggles prevail erode productivity and spirit. Sometimes, the only solution is to change your environment. Define your “Quitter’s Criteria” know your red lines, and when it’s time to move on.

Leave It Better Than You Found It

Wherever you go, strive to leave people and places better than you found them. Improvement doesn’t always require revolution; often, it’s about thriving within the system and nudging it toward fairness. As the saying goes, the grass is greener where you water it. Just make sure you know what’s in the water.

-E.S.