"Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for'tis better to be alone then in bad company."

This quote means if your gonna have people around you to have the ones that will lead you into a place were all positive things will be. If you have bad surroundings stay away from them and guide yourself stand by yourself but do whats right. You could be alone and doing good which is better then having friends and doing bad. Sometimes the bad company pushes you down and doesn't let you achieve more then it thinks it does. Other times you just got to handle things on your own make your own movement.