---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whether we appreciate it or not, we live…"
description: "\"Whether we appreciate it or not, we live out our lives surrounded by an intricate pattern of social connections... We're all embedded in this network; ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/nicholas-a-christakis-20388_affects_whether-we-appreciate-it-or-not-we-live_3091926.png"
---

#  Whether we appreciate it or not, we live out our lives…

![“Whether we appreciate it or not, we live out our lives surrounded by an intricate pattern of social connections... We're all embedded in this network; it affects us profoundly and we may be unaware of its existence, of its effect on us.” quote by Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/nicholas-a-christakis-20388_affects_whether-we-appreciate-it-or-not-we-live_3091926.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/nicholas-a-christakis-20388_affects_whether-we-appreciate-it-or-not-we-live_3091926.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/nicholas-a-christakis-20388_affects_whether-we-appreciate-it-or-not-we-live_3091926.png)

> “Whether we appreciate it or not, we live out our lives surrounded by an intricate pattern of social connections... We're all embedded in this network; it affects us profoundly and we may be unaware of its existence, of its effect on us.”

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Our lives are woven into complex social networks that influence us often unnoticed.

**In simple terms:** We are shaped by unseen social ties.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and nurture healthy connections.

Themes

social influence network theory interdependence

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

academic informative

When to use this quote

- workplace dynamics
- online communities
- public health
- family life

Key Concepts

social capital behavioral contagion hidden structures

Questions to Reflect On

- How aware are you of your network’s impact?
- What steps can you take to improve it?

A Different Perspective

Networks can also spread harmful behaviors.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Pattern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pattern/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/)

## Related quotes

> [What an argument in favor of social connections is the observation that by communicating our grief we have less, and by communicating our pleasure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-fulke-greville/what-an-argument-in-favor-of-social-connections-is-the-observation/)

[Sir Fulke Greville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-fulke-greville/)

> [I've worked with farmers in Zimbabwe who've lost their lands. I've worked with people in Venezuela, under threat of kidnappings, whose external world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-achor/i-ve-worked-with-farmers-in-zimbabwe-who-ve-lost-their-lands-i-ve/)

[Shawn Achor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-achor/)

> [My family had no money or social connections with the music industry but I came to London and had some success that continues to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/limahl/my-family-had-no-money-or-social-connections-with-the-music-industry/)

[Limahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/limahl/)

> [“Increasing the social connections in our lives is probably the single easiest way to enhance our well-being. But a growing addiction to materialistic values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/increasing-the-social-connections-in-our-lives-is-probably-the-single/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When it comes to creating emotional wellbeing, we are only going to achieve this, I believe, if we help each other in that effort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/when-it-comes-to-creating-emotional-wellbeing-we-are-only-going-to/)

[Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/)

> [“The need for social interaction ... is very much a part of why women shop. All our interviewees commented at some point that social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beverland-stella-minahan/the-need-for-social-interaction-is-very-much-a-part-of-why-women-shop/)

Michael Beverland Stella Minahan

> [Evidence shows that having even weak social connections in a stressful situation is really good for your health and your ability to handle that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/evidence-shows-that-having-even-weak-social-connections-in-a/)

[Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/)

> [I feel a strong wakeup call and need to build social connections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alton-brown/i-feel-a-strong-wakeup-call-and-need-to-build-social-connections/)

[Alton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alton-brown/)

> [Not only who am I, but who are we? And where are we going? It's the "we." It's the social connections that are special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/not-only-who-am-i-but-who-are-we-and-where-are-we-going-it-s-the-we/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [“The Company We Keep So now we have seen that our cells are in relationship with our thoughts, feelings, and each other. How do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sondra-barrett/the-company-we-keep-so-now-we-have-seen-that-our-cells-are-in/)

Sondra Barrett

> [“A need to share good news can also be thought of as an attempt to find and maintain social connections.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/a-need-to-share-good-news-can-also-be-thought-of-as-an-attempt-to/)

[Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/)

> [I was raised into the Romanian Orthodox culture by my parents, and most notably my mother, who is a profoundly religious and spiritual woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-moceanu/i-was-raised-into-the-romanian-orthodox-culture-by-my-parents-and/)

[Dominique Moceanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-moceanu/)

> [So you want to be a man? You will become a man on the day that you profoundly respect every woman you meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/so-you-want-to-be-a-man-you-will-become-a-man-on-the-day-that-you/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [No one can be profoundly original who does not avoid eccentricity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/no-one-can-be-profoundly-original-who-does-not-avoid-eccentricity/)

[Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/)

> [I, for one, am profoundly grateful to feel the hand of God at work in my life. But at the beginning and end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/i-for-one-am-profoundly-grateful-to-feel-the-hand-of-god-at-work-in/)

[Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/)

## More by Nicholas A. Christakis

> [The reason we form networks is because the benefits of a connected life outweigh the costs. It's to our advantage as individuals and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/the-reason-we-form-networks-is-because-the-benefits-of-a-connected/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [It's fashionable to speak about vulnerable populations in medicine and public policy, but it's harder to find a more vulnerable population than those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/it-s-fashionable-to-speak-about-vulnerable-populations-in-medicine/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [“If we are connected to everyone else by six degrees and we can influence them up to three degrees, then one way to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/if-we-are-connected-to-everyone-else-by-six-degrees-and-we-can/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [Social networks are these intricate things of beauty, and they're so elaborate and so complex and so ubiquitous that one has to ask what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/social-networks-are-these-intricate-things-of-beauty-and-they-re-so/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [We are, first of all, not solitary creatures and second of all, we are deeply embedded in the lives of others. It's very easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/we-are-first-of-all-not-solitary-creatures-and-second-of-all-we-are/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [I like to have met someone in real life before being their Facebook friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/i-like-to-have-met-someone-in-real-life-before-being-their-facebook/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [It's important for students to take their studies seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/it-s-important-for-students-to-take-their-studies-seriously/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [My entire youth was spent with an incredibly ill parent... I don't think you can grow up that way and not be marked by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/my-entire-youth-was-spent-with-an-incredibly-ill-parent-i-don-t-think/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [I'm not suggesting that social scientists stop teaching and investigating classic topics like monopoly power, racial profiling and health inequality. But everyone knows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/i-m-not-suggesting-that-social-scientists-stop-teaching-and/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [One reason citizens, politicians and university donors sometimes lack confidence in the social sciences is that social scientists too often miss the chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/one-reason-citizens-politicians-and-university-donors-sometimes-lack/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [People have just assumed that... if we call our Facebook acquaintances our friends, we must be influenced by them, too. But we're not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/people-have-just-assumed-that-if-we-call-our-facebook-acquaintances/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [We are, first of all, not solitary creatures and second of all, we are deeply embedded in the lives of others. It's very easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/we-are-first-of-all-not-solitary-creatures-and-second-of-all-we-are-2/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [We cannot understand our humanity just by studying individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/we-cannot-understand-our-humanity-just-by-studying-individuals/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [It used to be thought that our genes were historically immutable and that it was not possible to imagine a conversation between culture and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/it-used-to-be-thought-that-our-genes-were-historically-immutable-and/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

> [Social media and the Internet haven't changed our capacity for social interaction any more than the Internet has changed our ability to be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/social-media-and-the-internet-haven-t-changed-our-capacity-for-social/)

[Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

[Explore all 31 Nicholas A. Christakis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/)

## More Affects quotes

> [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/)

[will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/)

> [He brought a sensibility and a hard-edged reasonableness to operating restaurants that had a lasting impact on me and still affects how I run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/he-brought-a-sensibility-and-a-hard-edged-reasonableness-to-operating/)

[Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/)

> [I think that, as Americans, we should never forget that when we tamper with freedom of speech, it is a very sensitive issue that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/i-think-that-as-americans-we-should-never-forget-that-when-we-tamper/)

[Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/)

> [Spina bifida affects every single aspect of your life, from your child's self-esteem to your ability to sleep at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-ari-parker/spina-bifida-affects-every-single-aspect-of-your-life-from-your-child/)

[Nicole Ari Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-ari-parker/)

> [“Mood evidently affects the operation of System 1: when we are uncomfortable and unhappy, we lose touch with our intuition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/mood-evidently-affects-the-operation-of-system-1-when-we-are/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [Education affects every major challenge we face in society. It creates economic growth, paves the way for peace and stability and helps erase the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakira/education-affects-every-major-challenge-we-face-in-society-it-creates/)

[Shakira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakira/)

> [The so-called skills gap is really a gap in education, and that affects all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-davidson/the-so-called-skills-gap-is-really-a-gap-in-education-and-that/)

[Adam Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-davidson/)

> [Your environment affects you wherever you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/your-environment-affects-you-wherever-you-are/)

[David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/)

> [With health, it affects a whole lot of different areas of your body. When it comes to helping, I love kids, so whatever it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ciara/with-health-it-affects-a-whole-lot-of-different-areas-of-your-body/)

[Ciara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ciara/)

> [I do know that I think children should be vaccinated because that affects the health of all the other children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-peet/i-do-know-that-i-think-children-should-be-vaccinated-because-that/)

[Amanda Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-peet/)

> [People always tell me the next stage of my career means moving to New York, but I never will. I don't care how that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/people-always-tell-me-the-next-stage-of-my-career-means-moving-to-new/)

[Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/)

> [“that each affects the other and tho other affects the next, and the world is full of stories, but the stories are all one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/that-each-affects-the-other-and-tho-other-affects-the-next-and-the/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [What happens in one region affects people across the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/what-happens-in-one-region-affects-people-across-the-world/)

[Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/)

> [Every role affects you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-benoist/every-role-affects-you/)

[Melissa Benoist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-benoist/)

> [Developing a good, healthy culture is extremely important at a startup. Culture reflects the essence of a startup's operation because it directly affects the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiss/developing-a-good-healthy-culture-is-extremely-important-at-a-startup/)

[Scott Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiss/)

Browse all 240 Affects quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Whether we appreciate it or not, we live out our lives surrounded by an intricate pattern of social connections... We're all embedded in this network; it affects us profoundly and we may be unaware of its existence, of its effect on us.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nicholas A. Christakis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/whether-we-appreciate-it-or-not-we-live-out-our-lives-surrounded-by/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Affects"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/whether-we-appreciate-it-or-not-we-live-out-our-lives-surrounded-by/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/nicholas-a-christakis-20388_affects_whether-we-appreciate-it-or-not-we-live_3091926.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/nicholas-a-christakis-20388_affects_whether-we-appreciate-it-or-not-we-live_3091926.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/nicholas-a-christakis-20388_affects_whether-we-appreciate-it-or-not-we-live_3091926.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Whether we appreciate it or not, we live out our lives surrounded by an intricate pattern of social…” — Nicholas A. Christakis",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Nicholas A. Christakis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Whether we appreciate it or not,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/whether-we-appreciate-it-or-not-we-live-out-our-lives-surrounded-by/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/whether-we-appreciate-it-or-not-we-live-out-our-lives-surrounded-by/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
