How can we become better people?

I mentioned a few days ago that we can know what the virtues are without becoming virtuous.Sometimes intellect can be an enemy.Now, after reflecting I think that the people we mix with and become friends with can be a very big influence on our life and the kind of person we are
It might be quite simple,like:I will not do this act because it would let X down if my friend ,X ,knew I had done it.She might not want to be my friend any more
I do not mean we should change to fit in with the views of our friends just to curry favour.I mean if you have a friend whom you admire for their behaviour and their ideas that you would not  keep the friendship if you told lies,seduced married people deliberately,stole watches when you went to dinner with a family friend etc
We might be wrong.May be a friend would not mind if we told lies… it would depend on the type of lie.But we all influence each other and do we want to be a bad influence?
I know it’s inevitable we will not live up to high ideals.There will always be a gap but maybe  that too is something a friend might help us with.To tolerate our failings and failures withou despairing.
I suppose we all do stupid things now and then!
Leonard Cohen got up and looked in the mirror.Then he said,Lighten up Cohen.