Incidentally, this is one of the best litmus tests I've found for many life decisions. (college, hobbies, friends, dating, etc.)

"If you tell me who your heroes are, I'll tell you how you'll turn out." -- Warren Buffett

Cute.

In a lot of circumstances it can be that simple however I don't think this is one of those circumstances.

Both options require a compromise. In this case it's a choice between achieving non-work life goals or achieving work life goals. Personally that would be a very easy choice for me despite the choice conflicting with your advice.

He's saying forget about your goals or work-life balance. Focus on the people. If you spend 5 yrs with them, you'll become more like them.