Numerical nonsense

I think that a new blog post is well overdue, and although I have nothing specific to really say, I feel the need to write anyway, so as not to let down my 0 followers.
The past week's events have made me think about the impact people have on each other. This may sounds really obvious, but sometimes even complete strangers have walked past me and I've felt inspired by them. If these strangers can make me want to buy a certain hat; then how much can my peers affect me?
I mean, we're all capable of a dirty look or a compliment, but can we really affect others without even realising?
If my family and friends were any different to how they are; would I be any different? Would I have made a lot of different decisions? I always take advice from friends, I take on board their compliments and criticisms, but do they subconsciously influence the way I dress? Or even the way I think and speak?
It's the people closest to you that have the most potential to affect you, isn't it? It's easy for your closet friends to pick you up when you're down, tell you what colours don’t suit you, or even cause you great misery.
People that spend a lot of time together often find their personalities merging; we pick up phrases that other people say. For instance, spending time with my father and his girlfriend made me realise that they're less like the individuals they used to be, they constantly shout out each other 'I was JUST about to say that!'. It made me wonder, do we really know anyone as completely independent people? If we’re all affected by the people around us, have we lost ourselves?
Thinking about married couples and the Spice Girls song; do two become one? Do I really know my parents as individuals? Or does my mother = Susan + (25 years x Keith)?
Another example is that my close friends and I don’t even need to say words; a facial expression is the equivalent to a whole sentence sometimes. Spending time with someone, you become connected, but is it possible for this to happen to an unhealthy extent? I mean, I try to be individual by wearing the odd man's hat and the miss-matching outfit, but am I striving for individuality that I'm never going to have? People will associate me with my friends, which is a good thing, but am I truly me?
I mean, I guess it's a good thing that people have the potential to influence us so much; I can see how it leads to a much less boring life; maybe a bit like having a good case of Multiple Personailty Disorder.