This quote is about understanding the difference between reputation and honor. Your reputation is how other people perceive you, based on what they learn about you. This typically involves what other people know about your background, your beliefs, and any actions you have taken. Your honor, however, is about your own internal understanding of yourself. This is what you know about your own values and beliefs, and it is independent of what other people think about you. Having honor means that you have a sense of self-respect and you abide by the values and beliefs that you hold.