"There is no such thing as a good influence, Mr. Gray." It's saying that no one knows your life better than you. Depending on the person, one might think that someone is a good influence while another person thinks they are a terrible influence. This comes from the theory that each person is free to choose their own path in life. Lord Henry continues: “…People are afraid of themselves these days. They have forgotten the highest of all duties, the duty one has to oneself…” It refers to how people go against their natural instinct of everyone for themselves. He believes that everyone's natural instinct is to put their own interest before that of others, but everyone chooses to obey the norms of society. The reader can determine that Lord Henry has an egocentric view of the world and