Find a New Crowd

Everyone has a “thing.” We have a “thing” we have made central in our lives. It is what we know the most about, what we care about, and what we find most of our time gravitating towards. It could be a favorite team we have a fandom for, a subject matter we are researching, a field of work we find ourselves employed in—anything. No matter how important our “thing” is, it is important to not box ourselves into a silo with the “thing” as the only part of our lives.

There is an idea that we should try and hang out with a group of people without talking about “the thing” that we have made central to our lives. We should seek out other people and act as if our “thing” does not exist. We should live in the moment of conversing about topics that are foreign to us. We should listen to learn and seek out these experiences. If we are a computer programmer, we should try and hang out with a group of athletes. If we are a math teacher, why not talk about our day with a bunch of environmentalists? If we are an artist, why not grab a coffee with an accountant? By immersing ourselves into new crowds of people who come from different backgrounds and interests than we have, we are able to increase the perspectives and outside stimuli we receive on an exponential level.

These perspectives provide us with an escape from our lives constantly revolving around our “thing.” They also offer a glimpse into the worlds of people around us who live completely different lives than we do. Everyone has their individual interests, passions, and goals and it is important on a human level to seek out their stories to see the world from their eyes. These breaks from our “things” offers us a chance to not only make new connections but also give our own minds a chance to reset from the very “thing” that is central to our lives. At the same time, if we are currently struggling with an aspect of our “thing” whether it be a problem we cannot solve, a difficult colleague interaction, or anything else, hearing how other people lead their own lives could cause individual “ah ha” moments to go off in our minds.

Humans are a tribal species that seek out those who are similar to each other. By going against the grain and seeking out those different than we are, we may actually prime ourselves for better performance in our individual fields. Our “thing” does not need to be the only “thing” we learn or talk about. We have the capacity to be multifaceted with multiple depths of interest. By finding and interacting with those who are different than us, with their own “things,” we are better able to attack our “thing” with an increased sense of purpose. By finding that new crowd, we are better prepared to return to our “thing.”