Too many people have destroyed their own lives and the potential within them by associating themselves with bad companies. The Bible certainly makes it perfectly clear: “Bad company corrupts good habits.” Easy, not smoking or taking illicit drugs are good habits. Bad company will encourage you to wear these kinds of bad clothes. Why? Because if you don’t conform to the bad habits of bad companies then you will make them feel uncomfortable. A person with common sense and the correct set of values ​​taught by their parents will not associate with such a company.

However, many young people fall into the trap of getting involved with people whose values ​​are not compatible with theirs. It’s nice when you make friends with people whose values ​​are stricter than yours but not so much at the other extreme where bad company can crush a person’s aspirations and potential.

The consequences of associating with the wrong kind of people can be disastrous. Prisons are full of people who made that vital mistake. It only takes one choice to follow the lead of bad people and that choice always leads to multiple bad choices resulting in a lifetime of wasted potential.

Taking advice from an older boss can help avoid bad relationships because people who have been around longer than you have more insight into a person’s character. Reject their advice at your own risk.

There are some telltale signs you can spot when taking a relationship to the next level. Take a look at the patterns of behavior that keep repeating themselves. If a person is cruel to animals, it may be a sign that they do not have empathy for others because there is a link to animal cruelty and violence against people. How they treat their own family is another clue because people tend to treat their partners the same way.

Some people tend to get caught up in their emotions and fool themselves into thinking their new friends are okay when the evidence is otherwise. This is a mistake that is made by so many people who fall into a bad crowd. It is also true that people tend to befriend those who have similar self-esteem. This is the trap 22 situation because those with the lowest self-esteem tend to be the ones who struggle in life.