--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Divorce is an embarrassing public…" description: "\"Divorce is an embarrassing public admission of defeat.\" — Tracy Letts" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/tracy-letts-12197_admission_divorce-is-an-embarrassing-public-admiss_594497.png" --- # Divorce is an embarrassing public admission of defeat. ![“Divorce is an embarrassing public admission of defeat.” quote by Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/tracy-letts-12197_admission_divorce-is-an-embarrassing-public-admiss_594497.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/tracy-letts-12197_admission_divorce-is-an-embarrassing-public-admiss_594497.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/tracy-letts-12197_admission_divorce-is-an-embarrassing-public-admiss_594497.png) > “Divorce is an embarrassing public admission of defeat.” [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divorce publicly reveals personal failure, exposing private struggles to societal judgment. **In simple terms:** Divorce is a public defeat. Key Takeaway Handle separation privately and respectfully. Themes marriage divorce public perception Mood somber analytical Type social psychological When to use this quote - legal proceedings - family gatherings - media coverage Key Concepts sociology psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does society view divorce? - Can privacy protect dignity? A Different Perspective Stigma can be reduced with cultural change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [After divorce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/after-divorce/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Divorce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divorce/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Happy divorce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-divorce/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) ## Related quotes > [Divorce is the price people play for playing with matches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/divorce-is-the-price-people-play-for-playing-with-matches/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [Regret and fear are twin thieves that rob us of today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hastings/regret-and-fear-are-twin-thieves-that-rob-us-of-today/) Bob Hastings > [She cried, and the judge wiped her tears with my checkbook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-manville/she-cried-and-the-judge-wiped-her-tears-with-my-checkbook/) Tommy Manville > [Thank God you can flee, can escape from that massy five-foot-thick maggot-cheesy solidarity which overlays the earth, in which men and women in couples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/thank-god-you-can-flee-can-escape-from-that-massy-five-foot-thick/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Any woman who votes for no-fault divorce is like a turkey voting for Thanksgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/any-woman-who-votes-for-no-fault-divorce-is-like-a-turkey-voting-for/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) > [For a couple with young children, divorce seldom comes as a "solution" to stress, only as a way to end one form of pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/for-a-couple-with-young-children-divorce-seldom-comes-as-a-solution/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [I can't get divorced because I'm a Catholic. Catholics don't get divorced. They stay together through anger and hatred and festering misery, just like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-clarke/i-can-t-get-divorced-because-i-m-a-catholic-catholics-don-t-get/) Lenny Clarke > [Half of all marriages end in divorce- and then there are the really unhappy ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/half-of-all-marriages-end-in-divorce-and-then-there-are-the-really/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [Asking the legal system to resolve divorce is like asking a boxing coach to be our marriage counselor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/asking-the-legal-system-to-resolve-divorce-is-like-asking-a-boxing/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [Winning isn't the end of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pleat/winning-isn-t-the-end-of-the-world/) [David Pleat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pleat/) > [The happiest time of anyone's life is just after the first divorce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/the-happiest-time-of-anyone-s-life-is-just-after-the-first-divorce/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [A society's apprehensiveness about divorce is an expression of its fear of change and of its resulting desire that personality remain unvarying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-clews-parsons/a-society-s-apprehensiveness-about-divorce-is-an-expression-of-its/) Elsie Clews Parsons > [Many a woman would get a divorce if she could do it without making her husband happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/many-a-woman-would-get-a-divorce-if-she-could-do-it-without-making/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [The creepy stuff was that I have had sex with women who worked for me on this show. Now, my response to that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/the-creepy-stuff-was-that-i-have-had-sex-with-women-who-worked-for-me/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [“The book of Jonah becomes an embarrassing and public reading of your family business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ben-zehabe/the-book-of-jonah-becomes-an-embarrassing-and-public-reading-of-your/) [Michael Ben Zehabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ben-zehabe/) ## More by Tracy Letts > ['Killer Joe' provides a lot of red meat for the theater. Pam MacKinnon is the perfect director to shepherd a group of actors who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/killer-joe-provides-a-lot-of-red-meat-for-the-theater-pam-mackinnon/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > ['Killer Joe' was originally written in 1991 and first produced in '93 at the Next Theater's Lab - a 40 seat black box theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/killer-joe-was-originally-written-in-1991-and-first-produced-in-93-at/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [“VIOLET: Oh, horseshit, horeshit, let's all say horseshit. Say horseshit, Bill. BILL: Horseshit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/violet-oh-horseshit-horeshit-let-s-all-say-horseshit-say-horseshit/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [The way we tell our stories on stage is that we use spoken word to convey action, and in movies, we use visual images…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/the-way-we-tell-our-stories-on-stage-is-that-we-use-spoken-word-to/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [I'm just a Chicago actor who's a playwright. Even with the success of 'August,' the people in town who come to our theater know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/i-m-just-a-chicago-actor-who-s-a-playwright-even-with-the-success-of/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [I like Shakespeare, but I never know what the hell is going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/i-like-shakespeare-but-i-never-know-what-the-hell-is-going-on/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [I don't know what it says about me that I have a greater affinity with the damaged. Probably nothing good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/i-don-t-know-what-it-says-about-me-that-i-have-a-greater-affinity/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [“You're thoughtful, Barbara, but you're not open. You're passionate, but you're hard. You're a good, decent, funny, wonderful woman, and I love you, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/you-re-thoughtful-barbara-but-you-re-not-open-you-re-passionate-but/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [Time wounds all heals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/time-wounds-all-heals/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [One of the things you hope you've done as a playwright is create roles that can sustain different interpretations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/one-of-the-things-you-hope-you-ve-done-as-a-playwright-is-create/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [I never know what the hell I'm writing about, I never know what the next thing I'm writing about is, I never have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/i-never-know-what-the-hell-i-m-writing-about-i-never-know-what-the/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [“We covered this around Year Three, Bill: that you're the Master of Space and Time and I'm a spastic Pomeranian.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/we-covered-this-around-year-three-bill-that-you-re-the-master-of/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [I grew up in a small town, in a small community, and I would not have had access to great plays when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/i-grew-up-in-a-small-town-in-a-small-community-and-i-would-not-have/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [I don't think I'd give advice. That never pays off. That's always a bad idea. If they follow your advice and it doesn't work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/i-don-t-think-i-d-give-advice-that-never-pays-off-that-s-always-a-bad/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) > [You get to know a character that you play on-stage in a pretty profound way over a length of time. I don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-letts/you-get-to-know-a-character-that-you-play-on-stage-in-a-pretty/) [Tracy Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) [Explore all 56 Tracy Letts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-letts/) ## More Admission quotes > [I wonder how long it would take him to realize I'm right as sin - it's the rest of the world that's wrong. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/i-wonder-how-long-it-would-take-him-to-realize-i-m-right-as-sin-it-s/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [In Hollywood, not to have an analyst is virtually an admission of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-vanderbilt/in-hollywood-not-to-have-an-analyst-is-virtually-an-admission-of/) [Amy Vanderbilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-vanderbilt/) > [Pride is an admission of weakness; it secretly fears all competition and dreads all rivals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/pride-is-an-admission-of-weakness-it-secretly-fears-all-competition/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Do you trust me? The question is usually asked before an admission that such trust is misplaced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-watson/do-you-trust-me-the-question-is-usually-asked-before-an-admission/) [S.J. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-watson/) > [Strong men don't compromise, it is said, and principles should never be compromised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/strong-men-don-t-compromise-it-is-said-and-principles-should-never-be/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [Silly ideas, worth the admission price in smiles, but they're true. Is high-energy physics interesting because it's true or because it's crazy?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/silly-ideas-worth-the-admission-price-in-smiles-but-they-re-true-is/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [He's the kind of player that is worth the price of admission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-feaster/he-s-the-kind-of-player-that-is-worth-the-price-of-admission/) Jay Feaster > [However, I had a chance encounter with an admissions officer of Stevens Institute of Technology, who so impressed me by his erudition and enthusiasm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-reines/however-i-had-a-chance-encounter-with-an-admissions-officer-of/) [Frederick Reines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-reines/) > [African American children can't be educationally disadvantaged for 12 years and then experience a miracle cure when it comes time for admission into college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaka-fattah/african-american-children-can-t-be-educationally-disadvantaged-for-12/) [Chaka Fattah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaka-fattah/) > [The interval allowed was only five minutes, at the end of which I resumed the lecture; but so refreshing was the effects of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-combe/the-interval-allowed-was-only-five-minutes-at-the-end-of-which-i/) [George Combe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-combe/) > [Look around. Take the tour. Fear hangs on the wall and shame sometimes. Emotional dislocation too. But I am brave in my admission. Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-grimes/look-around-take-the-tour-fear-hangs-on-the-wall-and-shame-sometimes/) [Nikki Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-grimes/) > [We hear much nowadays as to the speculative ideas of men concerning the condition beyond the grave; but the admission that there is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-talmage/we-hear-much-nowadays-as-to-the-speculative-ideas-of-men-concerning/) [James E. Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-talmage/) > [A full and candid admission of one's mistakes should make proof against its repetition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-full-and-candid-admission-of-one-s-mistakes-should-make-proof/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [In poor environment, I find great inspiration. 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