JLPT N3Proverbs

朱に交われば赤くなる

Meaning
人は付き合う相手によって良くも悪くも影響される
Explanation
「朱に交われば赤くなる」 means that, just as touching something red turns oneself red, a person is influenced for better or worse by the company one keeps. Unlike c4's 「自分の意志で性格を変える」 (changing one's character by one's own will), it expresses the influence of one's surroundings.
Original Japanese explanation

「朱に交われば赤くなる」は、赤い物に触れると自分も赤くなるように、人は付き合う相手によって良くも悪くも影響を受けるという意味です。c4 の「自分の意志で性格を変える」とは違い、周りの影響を表します。

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