--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to adhere to a certain morality…" description: "\"You have to adhere to a certain morality, a certain level of decorum, or else you'll be punished and labeled.\" — Margaret Cho" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/margaret-cho-1136_certain_you-have-to-adhere-to-a-certain-morality_2052561.png" --- # You have to adhere to a certain morality, a certain level… ![“You have to adhere to a certain morality, a certain level of decorum, or else you'll be punished and labeled.” quote by Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/margaret-cho-1136_certain_you-have-to-adhere-to-a-certain-morality_2052561.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/margaret-cho-1136_certain_you-have-to-adhere-to-a-certain-morality_2052561.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/margaret-cho-1136_certain_you-have-to-adhere-to-a-certain-morality_2052561.png) > “You have to adhere to a certain morality, a certain level of decorum, or else you'll be punished and labeled.” [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societal expectations enforce moral standards, and deviation can lead to punishment and stigma. **In simple terms:** Breaking moral rules can bring punishment and labeling. Key Takeaway Consider the cost of conformity. Themes morality social pressure conformity Mood reflective critical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - workplace - public life - personal relationships - online behavior Key Concepts ethics stigmatization Questions to Reflect On - Do you follow rules out of belief or fear? - How does labeling affect personal freedom? A Different Perspective Punishment may be uneven or unjust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Decorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decorum/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) ## Related quotes > [I say that a man must be certain of his morality for the simple reason that he has to suffer for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/i-say-that-a-man-must-be-certain-of-his-morality-for-the-simple/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Tis certain that Morality is an indispensable Requisite of true Religion, and there can be none without it. But it would become the Pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/tis-certain-that-morality-is-an-indispensable-requisite-of-true/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) > [“Man must be certain of his morality for the simple reason that he has to suffer for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/man-must-be-certain-of-his-morality-for-the-simple-reason-that-he-has/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Things that are in "bad taste" are often renegade and rebellious. They go against the status quo, and the laws of decorum and modesty.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/things-that-are-in-bad-taste-are-often-renegade-and-rebellious-they/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [The middle of 'America's Women' is about the Civil War, and how women, black and white, confronted slavery and abolition. As in every other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-middle-of-america-s-women-is-about-the-civil-war-and-how-women/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [As for the decorum at the time of a campaign, one must be mindful that he is a samurai. A person who loves beautification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kato-kiyomasa/as-for-the-decorum-at-the-time-of-a-campaign-one-must-be-mindful-that/) [Kato Kiyomasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kato-kiyomasa/) > [The most disgusting cad in the world is the man who on the grounds of decorum and morality avoids the game of love. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-most-disgusting-cad-in-the-world-is-the-man-who-on-the-grounds-of/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“The poster child for decorum was actually being sexually suggestive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgina-guthrie/the-poster-child-for-decorum-was-actually-being-sexually-suggestive/) [Georgina Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgina-guthrie/) > [Drinking can not be sacramentalised except in religions which set no store on decorum. The worship of Dionysos or the Celtic god of beer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/drinking-can-not-be-sacramentalised-except-in-religions-which-set-no/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [A man who understands decorum and the courtesies is a great treasure; I hope to train and send into society as many such men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mas-oyama/a-man-who-understands-decorum-and-the-courtesies-is-a-great-treasure/) [Mas Oyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mas-oyama/) > [It is important that the decorum and dignity of the House is upheld at all times. The image of Parliament in the public mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratibha-patil/it-is-important-that-the-decorum-and-dignity-of-the-house-is-upheld/) [Pratibha Patil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratibha-patil/) > [Unsuccessful candidates for the Presidency should be quietly hanged as a matter of public sanitation and decorum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presidency-should-be-quietly-hanged/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Any girl that's in a professional setting has to have a certain amount of decorum, but there's always a different story going on, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stana-katic/any-girl-that-s-in-a-professional-setting-has-to-have-a-certain/) [Stana Katic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stana-katic/) > [Liberty ... was a two-headed boon. There was first, the liberty of the people as a whole to determine the forms of their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/liberty-was-a-two-headed-boon-there-was-first-the-liberty-of-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - It is a sweet and becoming thing to die for ones country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/dulce-et-decorum-est-pro-patria-mori-it-is-a-sweet-and-becoming-thing/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) ## More by Margaret Cho > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I'm super-obsessed with 'Intervention.' I wrote a song about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-m-super-obsessed-with-intervention-i-wrote-a-song-about-it/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I have 3 dogs myself - I actually have a kennel license in order to do so. I love them so much I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-have-3-dogs-myself-i-actually-have-a-kennel-license-in-order-to-do/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I think self-deprecation is such a disease, and I want to cure everybody of it and so that's my contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-think-self-deprecation-is-such-a-disease-and-i-want-to-cure/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I don't like pot anymore -- I forget why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-don-t-like-pot-anymore-i-forget-why/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I'm not a mom, but I think the word 'mother' is about wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-m-not-a-mom-but-i-think-the-word-mother-is-about-wisdom/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [That we are selfish gives us the opportunity to gain the power so that, in time, we might be selfless. To give back what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/that-we-are-selfish-gives-us-the-opportunity-to-gain-the-power-so/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [Why can't all different types of women be considered beautiful? Why can't we can't we all be considered possible love interests?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/why-can-t-all-different-types-of-women-be-considered-beautiful-why/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I think that failure is just as important as success. In a way, failure is a kind of success if you can look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-think-that-failure-is-just-as-important-as-success-in-a-way-failure/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I could never make a joke about somebody unless I could say it to their face and they'd laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-could-never-make-a-joke-about-somebody-unless-i-could-say-it-to/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/sometimes-when-we-are-generous-in-small-barely-detectable-ways-it-can/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [ Something as important as marriage equality, which is now a constitutional right \[in the USA\], is something that cannot be denied. It's also very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/something-as-important-as-marriage-equality-which-is-now-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [It's not the best between my family and me. There are so many crimes left unpunished, debts unpaid, white elephants in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/it-s-not-the-best-between-my-family-and-me-there-are-so-many-crimes/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [It's okay for you to have relationships, but it's not okay to talk about them. It's not okay to be out or to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/it-s-okay-for-you-to-have-relationships-but-it-s-not-okay-to-talk/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [My attitude toward peace does not depend on which war we are discussing. I think that words should do the work of bombs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/my-attitude-toward-peace-does-not-depend-on-which-war-we-are/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) [Explore all 285 Margaret Cho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) T. H. 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