Here related is the story of the ass bought at a market:
"A man who intended to buy an ass took it on trial and led it to the manger to mix with his others. But the ass, turning its back on the others, went and stood beside the laziest and fattest of the lot. As it stood there and did nothing, the man put a halter on it and led it back to its owner. The owner asked the man if he had given it a fair trial, and he replied:
'I don't need any further trial. I am certain of what he's like because of the companion he chose among the lot.' "
That human beings have volition is a fact of nature not to be disputed. But something many people forget, especially those firm believers in volition, is how one's friends, society, and environment influences them. Usually the influences are very subtle, including the way a person speaks (including slang phrases) and certain mannerisms. But slowly, these small and seemingly harmless things translate into much larger and deeper problems. A cynical, joking attitude between friends, over time, translates into a cynical view of life. Listening to nothing but foul-mouthed language slowly turns into a brutish way of speaking.
The ancients taught us that, in the words of Aristotle, "We are what we repeatedly do." Habits form the basis for our character, no matter how big or small. Knowing this, the man chose not to buy the donkey based upon the sloven crowd that he associated with. Sloven friends leads to a sloven life. The moral then? For positive results, surround yourself with positive things, positive environments, and positive friends.
-----Jason Roberts
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