The notion of "life hacking" something as sacred as friendships will no doubt offend a lot of people, as evident by all the negative responses. But I do believe

The notion of "life hacking" something as sacred as friendships will no doubt offend a lot of people, as evident by all the negative responses. But I do believe that your closest friends influence your goals, priorities, and outlooks on life. My social circle took a drastic change when I moved from Seattle to Palo Alto 5 years ago. The new friends I made were on average a lot more ambitious and driven. Collectively they've had a profound impact on who I am over the years. This article unfortunately came out in a Tim-Ferris-four-hour-work-week-over-the-top-douhbagery sort of way, but I think the author means well. We shouldn't be sucking up to successful people in hopes of befriending them for profit, nor should we ditch our "go nowhere" friends for fear of drag. But we can always strive to put ourselves in environments that positively influence us.