Do you think that you become like people that you hang out with?

I think that its according to who is stronger in their beliefs. I have seen times when the good became like the bad, but I have also seen times when the bad turned good. You see this in churches everyday.

Yes and no. I've found that different friends have influenced my humour, as I have theirs, because we all have slight differences in the things that we find amusing and will laugh about with our friends. I think it can go either way, you can change to become more like them, or you can attract friends similar to yourself, or you can attract friends that seem totally different, and be quite the opposite to them. For example, some people who have really outgoing and confident friends become even more shy and introverted than they were in the first place, or they thrive from those friendships and come out of their shell with others as well. Some people are also more greatly influenced than others, for example (and unfortunately this is mainly in teenagers/youth) otherwise intelligent people lose their intelligence altogether because their friends aren't very smart, or they don't value intelligence because it's "uncool", or whatever. I think that's a pretty insane power to have over the people you associate with - the power to make them dumb. I think having strong, open-minded but vastly different friends makes me a better, richer human being, but it doesn't necessarily make me take on all of their personality traits (although I am strong, open-minded and quite different =P) Good discussion =)

I have to believe you do start picking out some of the traits and mannerisms of the people you hang out with.I have noticed at times I will say something and then realize that is how another tennant in the building would say it including the emphasizing.I also believe that it is still up to each individual to be careful of the traits being picked up as subconsciously we could pick up bad or good traits.

no, i dont think you do but i do believe you choose to hang out with people who are truely like we are or like we would like to be blessed be

I think that we do change a bit when we hang out with others. We are affected by their behaviour. Like if you spend hours and hours with someone that say "like" in every sentence it is more likely that you will to. And I do think that good actions from someone close will lead to good actions by you. If you beat a child that child is much more likely to beat others than a child that is never beaten. If we like them a lot it is easier to change. But I do not think that it always happen. I have met some people that I find fascinating, but that I would never want to be like.

Depends on the discipline of the individual. Anyway, why would you not hang out with a group of people if you don't even at least share a same interest. Influence can only go as much as one permits to be influenced. Peer pressure, social expectations are just a few of the things that influences one's actions when with group of people.