- English translation
Dishonor outlives the one who bears it.
- Literal wording
Disgrace is longer than lifetime.
- Meaning and lesson
Disgrace outlasts the person who earns it. The word here means public dishonor, a stain on one's name, not a private feeling of guilt. A life ends at death, but the memory of a dishonorable deed keeps attaching to that name, so the stain stretches beyond the span of life itself.
The saying works as a caution about reputation. A brief gain or impulsive act may leave a mark that cannot be erased, so honor deserves protection even at personal cost, because the harm will be remembered long after the wrongdoer is gone.
- When it is used
Suitable as a warning before someone acts in a way that could bring lasting dishonor, or as a sober remark when a past disgrace still clings to a person or family. It stresses permanence, so it fits serious matters better than minor embarrassments.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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