George Washington learned much wisdom in his youth. While learning penmanship, he was instructed to write several (110) maxims from dictation, which maxims taught him not only good penmanship, but also good manners and behavior. Here’s one of those maxims:

“Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation for ‘tis better to be alone than in bad company.”

He kept that advice his whole life through.