Culture, the way people dress, politics, the media, what we learn in school, and a variety of other factors all have an impact on me since I am exposed to them on a daily basis. Even if I make every effort not to be influenced by these things, it is unavoidable. We Gain a Sense of Self Through the Groups to Which We Belong. Our group memberships have another social influence on our self-esteem. We can boost our self-esteem, for example, by seeing ourselves as members of useful and important groups.