A single strand of rope snaps easy. Twisted together, they hold a ship. Pick who you twist with.

Strength comes less from the material than from the combination. One thread holds almost nothing and a few dozen wound together will hold a boat against a tide, which is why the people around you change what you can withstand. The reverse holds too, since whoever you bind yourself to decides what you get pulled into.

Look at the two or three people you spend the most hours with and ask what they make easier and what they make likely. Spend an extra hour this week with whichever one steadies you. Be slower about twisting yourself into a group you would not choose alone.