Negative People

If the only option is to avoid negative people or become like them, of what value is your virtue. 

The world needs positive and inspired people who remain compassionate and maintain integrity, even in the presence of those who are negative. 
Negative people need to see examples of happiness and fulfillment by those who are not negative. 

Neither seek out nor avoid negative people. Instead, respond mindfully, compassionately and appropriately, based on one's highest intuition for each set of circumstances. 

Sometimes it is best to gain some distance, but mentally compartmentalizing all negative people into a single group, to be treated and judged similarly, will take a person a long way down the path toward becoming negative themselves.

From added response: 

At times, it's pointless to hang around (negative people), especially when no progress is being made. Depleting the body can lead to the impression that one is also emotionally and spiritually burned out. Our physical energy is finite. I'm a retired nurse, having worked in psychiatric, home health and hospice settings. I found myself praying for strength to make it through the next patient care encounter, while feeling as though I would not be able to do it. Then the question came to me, "What is the Source of your strength?" Then it came to me that Positive Energy, Compassion, Love and related vibrations are from an Infinite Source, and if I'm a conduit of said Energy, there's no way it will be depleted. After that, emotional and spiritual burnout was no longer on the radar at all. My physical stamina improved a lot once I was no longer apprehensive about emotional and spiritual burnout.

Consider Vibe entrainment. Have you noticed the lightening of mood in a room full of people, when a particular person enters? Such an effect is even more pronounced when the individual is aware of the strength of the Vibrational Power contained within and coming through them. It's not something you need to think about, except to remind yourself occasionally of it's Presence.

Usually, the next step is to learn not to fear one's own Strength.