--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's better to live down a scandal than…" description: "\"It's better to live down a scandal than to ruin one's life.\" — Anton Chekhov" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/anton-chekhov-298_ruins_it-s-better-to-live-down-a-scandal-than_2501844.jpg" --- # It's better to live down a scandal than to ruin one's life. ![“It's better to live down a scandal than to ruin one's life.” quote by Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/anton-chekhov-298_ruins_it-s-better-to-live-down-a-scandal-than_2501844.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/anton-chekhov-298_ruins_it-s-better-to-live-down-a-scandal-than_2501844.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/anton-chekhov-298_ruins_it-s-better-to-live-down-a-scandal-than_2501844.jpg) > “It's better to live down a scandal than to ruin one's life.” [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It is preferable to manage a scandal quietly than to ruin one's entire life. **In simple terms:** Handle scandal discreetly, avoid total ruin. Key Takeaway Mitigate damage, preserve dignity. Themes reputation crisis management ethics Mood pragmatic serious Type ethical strategic When to use this quote - political careers - celebrity gossip - corporate misconduct - legal disputes Key Concepts public relations scandal response Questions to Reflect On - How can you prepare for potential scandals? - What steps restore trust after a scandal? A Different Perspective Scandals can have lasting consequences despite discretion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ruins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruins/) [Scandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scandal/) ## Related quotes > [I would hate to see a UFO. Because it would ruin my life. I would have to talk about it the rest of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-would-hate-to-see-a-ufo-because-it-would-ruin-my-life-i-would-have/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [This obsession with dignity can ruin your life if you let it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/this-obsession-with-dignity-can-ruin-your-life-if-you-let-it/) [Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/) > [Scandal breeds hatred; hatred begets division; division makes faction, and faction brings ruin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/scandal-breeds-hatred-hatred-begets-division-division-makes-faction/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [“Lebedev: ...There'll be a scandal, the tongues of the whole district will buzz with gossip, but it's better to go through a scandal, isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/lebedev-there-ll-be-a-scandal-the-tongues-of-the-whole-district-will/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [Love is a scandal of the personal sort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/love-is-a-scandal-of-the-personal-sort/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“It is better to live one-shot loving and living your life to the fullest than live chapters hating and grudging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michiyo-yamashita/it-is-better-to-live-one-shot-loving-and-living-your-life-to-the/) [Michiyo Yamashita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michiyo-yamashita/) > [It's better to live a world where you can hear different languages and sensibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rithy-panh/it-s-better-to-live-a-world-where-you-can-hear-different-languages/) [Rithy Panh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rithy-panh/) > [“I knew that it was better to live out one’s own absurdity than to die for that of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/i-knew-that-it-was-better-to-live-out-one-s-own-absurdity-than-to-die/) [Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/) > [I think I'm better at live shows than I used to be because I'm way more comfortable with the uncomfortable pauses between songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-think-i-m-better-at-live-shows-than-i-used-to-be-because-i-m-way/) [Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/) > [And if you only have 24 hours and 1.400 minutes before your dreams gone than you better go live it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/machine-gun-kelly/and-if-you-only-have-24-hours-and-1-400-minutes-before-your-dreams/) [Machine Gun Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/machine-gun-kelly/) > [It is better not to live at all than to live disgraced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/it-is-better-not-to-live-at-all-than-to-live-disgraced/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [And I knew that it was better to live out one's absurdity than to die for that of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/and-i-knew-that-it-was-better-to-live-out-one-s-absurdity-than-to-die/) [Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/) > [“Better to live a day on your feet than a lifetime on your knees.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-mcnab/better-to-live-a-day-on-your-feet-than-a-lifetime-on-your-knees/) Andy McNab > [It's better to live richly than to die rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-mbululo/it-s-better-to-live-richly-than-to-die-rich/) [Ally Mbululo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-mbululo/) > [“Sometimes it's better to live without a mother than not to live at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-millard/sometimes-it-s-better-to-live-without-a-mother-than-not-to-live-at-all/) [Glenda Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-millard/) ## More by Anton Chekhov > [“Using vile means to attain worthy ends makes the ends themselves vile. Let them ride on the backs of doctors and medical assistants, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/using-vile-means-to-attain-worthy-ends-makes-the-ends-themselves-vile/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [If ever my life can be of any use to you, come and claim it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/if-ever-my-life-can-be-of-any-use-to-you-come-and-claim-it/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-still-many-more-days-of-failure-ahead-whole-seasons-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“But here was all the timorousness and angularity of inexperienced youth, a feeling of awkwardness, and an impression of bewilderment, as if someone had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/but-here-was-all-the-timorousness-and-angularity-of-inexperienced/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“At the water's edge, barrels of pitch blazed like huge bonfires. Their reflection, crimson as the rising moon, crept to meet us in long,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/at-the-water-s-edge-barrels-of-pitch-blazed-like-huge-bonfires-their/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [Anna Petrovna: Never talk to women about your own good qualities. Let them find out for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/anna-petrovna-never-talk-to-women-about-your-own-good-qualities-let/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [While you're playing cards with a regular guy or having a bite to eat with him, he seems a peaceable, good-humoured and not entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/while-you-re-playing-cards-with-a-regular-guy-or-having-a-bite-to-eat/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Lebedev: France has a clear and defined policy... The French know what they want. They just want to wipe out the Krauts, finish, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/lebedev-france-has-a-clear-and-defined-policy-the-french-know-what/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“My holy of holies are the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and the most absolute freedom - freedom from force and falsity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/my-holy-of-holies-are-the-human-body-health-intelligence-talent/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“What we have, we do not treasure,” and what’s more we do not even love it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/what-we-have-we-do-not-treasure-and-what-s-more-we-do-not-even-love-it/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convict-may-be-he-loves-fairness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“It is my opinion that every woman can be a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/it-is-my-opinion-that-every-woman-can-be-a-writer/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“His reading suggested a man swimming in the sea among the wreckage of his ship, and trying to save his life by greedily clutching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/his-reading-suggested-a-man-swimming-in-the-sea-among-the-wreckage-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Why do you always wear black?” "I am mourning for my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/why-do-you-always-wear-black-i-am-mourning-for-my-life/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) [Explore all 679 Anton Chekhov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## More Ruins quotes > [Above Coblentz almost every mountain has a ruin and a legend. One feels everywhere the spirit of the past, and its stirring recollections come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/above-coblentz-almost-every-mountain-has-a-ruin-and-a-legend-one/) [Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/) > [The less we show our love to a woman, Or please her less, and neglect our duty, The more we trap and ruin her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pushkin/the-less-we-show-our-love-to-a-woman-or-please-her-less-and-neglect/) [Alexander Pushkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pushkin/) > [I do like talking with friends about big concepts, you know, the stuff that will ruin a party. To me, the party hasn't begun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-do-like-talking-with-friends-about-big-concepts-you-know-the-stuff/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/reading-good-books-ruins-you-for-enjoying-bad-books/) [Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/) > [A thousand years may scare form a state. An hour may lay it in ruins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/a-thousand-years-may-scare-form-a-state-an-hour-may-lay-it-in-ruins/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Good taste ruins certain true spiritual values: such as taste itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-chanel/good-taste-ruins-certain-true-spiritual-values-such-as-taste-itself/) [Coco Chanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-chanel/) > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [The chief wonder of education is that it does not ruin everybody concerned in it, teachers and taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-chief-wonder-of-education-is-that-it-does-not-ruin-everybody/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [I would hate to see a UFO. Because it would ruin my life. I would have to talk about it the rest of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-would-hate-to-see-a-ufo-because-it-would-ruin-my-life-i-would-have/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [Ruin, eldest daughter of Zeus, she blinds us all, that fatal madness—she with those delicate feet of hers, never touching the earth, gliding over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/ruin-eldest-daughter-of-zeus-she-blinds-us-all-that-fatal-madness-she/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Knowledge forbidden? Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord Envy them that? Can it be sin to know, Can it be death? And do they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/knowledge-forbidden-suspicious-reasonless-why-should-their-lord-envy/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [I'm going to college. I don't care if it ruins my career. I'd rather be smart than a movie star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-portman/i-m-going-to-college-i-don-t-care-if-it-ruins-my-career-i-d-rather-be/) [Natalie Portman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-portman/) > [With Your great schemes, You ruin our happiness like a harvester ruins a mouse's nest: I hate You, God, I hate You as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/with-your-great-schemes-you-ruin-our-happiness-like-a-harvester-ruins/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) [Browse all 1,622 Ruins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruins/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's better to live down a scandal than to ruin one's life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anton Chekhov" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/it-s-better-to-live-down-a-scandal-than-to-ruin-one-s-life/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ruins" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/it-s-better-to-live-down-a-scandal-than-to-ruin-one-s-life/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/anton-chekhov-298_ruins_it-s-better-to-live-down-a-scandal-than_2501844.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/anton-chekhov-298_ruins_it-s-better-to-live-down-a-scandal-than_2501844.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/anton-chekhov-298_ruins_it-s-better-to-live-down-a-scandal-than_2501844.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's better to live down a scandal than to ruin one's life.” — Anton Chekhov", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anton Chekhov", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's better to live down a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/it-s-better-to-live-down-a-scandal-than-to-ruin-one-s-life/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/it-s-better-to-live-down-a-scandal-than-to-ruin-one-s-life/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```