--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No matter how corrupt and unjust a…" description: "\"No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are unfair, from year to ye..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/anton-chekhov-298_convict_no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convi_32376.jpg" --- # No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he… ![“No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are unfair, from year to year he lapses into an embittered state characterized by an extreme lack of faith.” quote by Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/anton-chekhov-298_convict_no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convi_32376.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/anton-chekhov-298_convict_no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convi_32376.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/anton-chekhov-298_convict_no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convi_32376.jpg) > “No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are unfair, from year to year he lapses into an embittered state characterized by an extreme lack of faith.” [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. Even a criminal values justice; when authority is unjust, it erodes his trust and breeds resentment. **In simple terms:** Justice is a universal desire, even among the condemned. Key Takeaway Unfair rule destroys faith. Themes justice authority trust resentment human nature Mood somber reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - prison reform debates - political oppression discussions - ethical leadership training Key Concepts fairness power dynamics psychology of oppression Practical Applications - designing fair correctional policies - building transparent governance Questions to Reflect On - How does perceived injustice affect morale? - What mechanisms can restore trust after unfair treatment? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Convict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convict/) [Fairness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairness/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Lack of faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-of-faith/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Illnesses have always been used as metaphors to enliven charges that a society was corrupt or unjust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/illnesses-have-always-been-used-as-metaphors-to-enliven-charges-that/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [In Ohio, we must put fairness to people and their families first, ahead of powerful special interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cordray/in-ohio-we-must-put-fairness-to-people-and-their-families-first-ahead/) [Richard Cordray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cordray/) > [The future which we hold in trust for our own children will be shaped by our fairness to other people's children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/the-future-which-we-hold-in-trust-for-our-own-children-will-be-shaped/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [“She still talks of fairness. What does fairness have to do with any of this? The people curse my name and pray for you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/she-still-talks-of-fairness-what-does-fairness-have-to-do-with-any-of/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [I often hear that it's unfair that athletes should make what they make versus teachers, because who's more important. But that's not how the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-often-hear-that-it-s-unfair-that-athletes-should-make-what-they/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“Farragut's first visitor was his wife. He was raking leaves in yard Y when the PA said that 734-508-32 had a visitor. He jogged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/farragut-s-first-visitor-was-his-wife-he-was-raking-leaves-in-yard-y/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“Of course, 85 per cent won’t be enough by itself to convict him, but it makes him someone you want to take seriously.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-bolton/of-course-85-per-cent-won-t-be-enough-by-itself-to-convict-him-but-it/) [S.J. Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-bolton/) > [I'm the only convict who couldn't get into Australia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goad/i-m-the-only-convict-who-couldn-t-get-into-australia/) [Jim Goad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goad/) > [“The most honest man I bet I’ve ever known, I and met him in prison.” “The nicest woman I ever knew, and she took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-mckenna/the-most-honest-man-i-bet-i-ve-ever-known-i-and-met-him-in-prison-the/) [Cara McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-mckenna/) > [I've been a biker, I've been a convict, I've been a husband, father, and son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-chapman/i-ve-been-a-biker-i-ve-been-a-convict-i-ve-been-a-husband-father-and/) [Duane Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-chapman/) > [You could accuse Republicans of a lot of things, but you could never convict us of being too conservative!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/you-could-accuse-republicans-of-a-lot-of-things-but-you-could-never/) [Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/) > [“Brother, these last two months I've found in myself a new man. A new man has risen up in me. He was hidden in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/brother-these-last-two-months-i-ve-found-in-myself-a-new-man-a-new/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Every prisoner knows perfectly that he is a convict and a reprobate, and knows the distance which separates him from his superiors; but neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoieffsky/every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-is-a-convict-and-a-reprobate/) Dostoieffsky > [I'm enormously proud of being the ancestor of a convict. That's mad, isn't it, but I really am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-reid/i-m-enormously-proud-of-being-the-ancestor-of-a-convict-that-s-mad/) [Anne Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-reid/) > [“The witch-hunt narrative is a really popular story that goes like this: Lots of people were falsely convicted of child sexual abuse in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-witch-hunt-narrative-is-a-really-popular-story-that-goes-like/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) ## 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/) > [“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/) > [Even in Siberia there is happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/even-in-siberia-there-is-happiness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) [Explore all 679 Anton Chekhov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## More Convict quotes > [“Farragut's first visitor was his wife. He was raking leaves in yard Y when the PA said that 734-508-32 had a visitor. He jogged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/farragut-s-first-visitor-was-his-wife-he-was-raking-leaves-in-yard-y/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [I've been a biker, I've been a convict, I've been a husband, father, and son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-chapman/i-ve-been-a-biker-i-ve-been-a-convict-i-ve-been-a-husband-father-and/) [Duane Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-chapman/) > [“Brother, these last two months I've found in myself a new man. A new man has risen up in me. He was hidden in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/brother-these-last-two-months-i-ve-found-in-myself-a-new-man-a-new/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“The witch-hunt narrative is a really popular story that goes like this: Lots of people were falsely convicted of child sexual abuse in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-witch-hunt-narrative-is-a-really-popular-story-that-goes-like/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) > [I'm enormously proud of being the ancestor of a convict. That's mad, isn't it, but I really am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-reid/i-m-enormously-proud-of-being-the-ancestor-of-a-convict-that-s-mad/) [Anne Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-reid/) > [“Every prisoner knows perfectly that he is a convict and a reprobate, and knows the distance which separates him from his superiors; but neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoieffsky/every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-is-a-convict-and-a-reprobate/) Dostoieffsky > [You could accuse Republicans of a lot of things, but you could never convict us of being too conservative!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/you-could-accuse-republicans-of-a-lot-of-things-but-you-could-never/) [Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/) > [“The most honest man I bet I’ve ever known, I and met him in prison.” “The nicest woman I ever knew, and she took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-mckenna/the-most-honest-man-i-bet-i-ve-ever-known-i-and-met-him-in-prison-the/) [Cara McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-mckenna/) > [I'm the only convict who couldn't get into Australia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goad/i-m-the-only-convict-who-couldn-t-get-into-australia/) [Jim Goad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goad/) > [“Of course, 85 per cent won’t be enough by itself to convict him, but it makes him someone you want to take seriously.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-bolton/of-course-85-per-cent-won-t-be-enough-by-itself-to-convict-him-but-it/) [S.J. Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-bolton/) > [Our constitutionally-based criminal justice system places a high value on protecting the innocent. Among its central tenets is the idea that it is better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shapiro/our-constitutionally-based-criminal-justice-system-places-a-high/) [Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shapiro/) > [“They even convict and execute the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-berry/they-even-convict-and-execute-the-dead/) [Julie Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-berry/) > [What can I do if everyone from the president to a junior bureaucrat is dying to convict me. If I am such a criminal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asif-ali-zardari/what-can-i-do-if-everyone-from-the-president-to-a-junior-bureaucrat/) [Asif Ali Zardari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asif-ali-zardari/) > [“You can almost define a convict as one who lacks precisely the kind of wisdom and self-control necessary to derive long-term advantage from short-term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-can-almost-define-a-convict-as-one-who-lacks-precisely-the-kind/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“Imagine the martyrdom of a pun which has become an integral portion of one's organism to be lugged through life like the convict's ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-james/imagine-the-martyrdom-of-a-pun-which-has-become-an-integral-portion/) [Alice James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-james/) [Browse all 28 Convict quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convict/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. 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