GRAVITY

I'm still writing about influence, and that's what you're still reading about. This time, the specific issue is the force of gravity and the lessons on influence that can be drawn from its characteristics.
 

In everyday English language use, gravity is a noun which refers to 

1. the seriousness or importance of something (always something, never someone!);
2. seriousness of attitude, synonymous with the noun gravitas which means a serious and impressive way of conducting oneself; or
3. a type of physical force which the sun, moon or other massive object exerts to attract another object towards itself. It is in this third sense that I speak of gravity here.

By definition, the weight of an object is defined by the force of gravity that the earth exerts on its mass. Mass, in turn, refers to the amount of matter (or substance, if you like) that is in an object. These definitions point out one important fact. No matter how much matter an object contains, its weight is always going to be determined by the amount of gravity it experiences. 

That is why, for example, objects weigh much less on the moon. One kilogram on earth barely weighs more than 160 grams on the moon. And in outer space (I mean where astronauts go in rockets and not just outside your house) one enters the realm of what is called 'weightlessness'. This refers to apparent lack of weight irrespective of how much substance any object contains. Why? It's simply because there is no source of gravity in outer space. 

If we go by the definition of weight in the sense of the influence or importance that something or someone has, then we can see clearly from the foregoing that we're all practically useless without some form of gravity - some compelling, inescapable, higher-level influence. And it is no accident that gravity has to come from a relatively larger object. A smaller object does not exert gravity on one that is larger. By extension, everyone who runs away from heavier responsibilites, loftier goals, stricter discipline (or any other form of gravity that you can think about) will most likely never amount to anything. To anyone who has ever seen how things float around in outer space or are simply too reluctant to move will not find it hard to understand that.

Now, the verb gravitate connotes attraction or interest. To gravitate towards people generally means being attracted towards and going to be with them. To gravitate towards something broadly means being interested in that thing to the extent of wanting to do or have it. The hidden meaning in this verb becomes obvious when we take it together with the meaning of gravity as discussed above. Gravity is non-negotiable; once an object comes close enough to the source of gravity, it will definitely gravitate. 

This simple but powerful truth has two practical implications. One, it is very crucial to choose carefully who or what one moves close to so as to avoid gravitating in the wrong direction. Two, it is important to consistently seek to perform better and live for a higher purpose; this serves as a source of gravitational pull otherwise one's life ends up weightless.