Andrew Whiten, professor of Evolutionary and Developmental Psychology at St. Andrews University, Scotland opened the concept of ''Deep Social Mind'' which refers to the ''distinctively human capacity to 'read' (that is, to infer) the mental states of others while reciprocally enabling those others to read one's own mental states at the same time''. As much as the closely related terms 'reflexivity' and 'intersubjectivity' this concept is relevant regarding human sociality, cognition, and communication.

Exploring the cognition aspect and understanding it as a social process, the most effective learning is collective instead of the individual.

In terms of collective learning, David Christian introduces its concept to human reality and relates it to technology and its evolution considering it and networks as essentials parts of the observed milestones in human history (https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/big-history-project/early-humans/collective-learning/a/collective-learning-part-1).

Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger bring the concepts of "Situated learning" and "Community of Practice" as key-parts to this conception of learning considering that learning involves a set of relationships with others in a knowledge or learning community.

This social process of learning knowledgeable skills strengthen ties between newcomers (learners) and old-timers and involves socio-cultural practices where newcomers are legitimated by peripheral participation gradually belonging to the community.

Legitimate peripheral participation is an analytical viewpoint on learning going beyond itself as an educational form, pedagogical strategy, or a teaching technique.

In accordance with this conception of learning as a social process connected to communities of practice, I would like to add a famous quote from Jim Rohn, a motivational speaker: “You're the average of the five people spend the most time with''.

As collective learning and networks are our main basis of learning, makes a lot of sense assume that they're necessarily connected to the main communities of practices that we're part of our lives and so are a relevant part of what we learn and are. 

Considering that we're influenced and influential animals and we're the average of the people we spend more time together, the environment you live determines your learning ability and transformational power.

If you want to know a bit more about the thesis of 'you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with', please click in the links below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYzLfWuyoI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-C5e3tbfxQ