Infamous Quotes
Reputation doesn't always go the direction you'd hope.
These quotes play with the odd asymmetry between fame and infamy - you can slide into infamous territory, but there's no path back to being unfamous once you've made a name. One speaker even predicts their own future in stark terms: I will either be famous or infamous.
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You can become famous but you can't become unfamous. You can become infamous but not unfamous.
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You can't get un-famous. You can get infamous, but you can't get un-famous.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between famous and infamous in these quotes?
The quotes suggest infamy is a kind of one-way door, you can slide from famous into infamous, but there's no path back to being unfamous. It's treated almost as a law of reputation.
Does this topic apply to places as well as people?
Yes, one quote calls Boston pretty infamous for race relations, showing that infamy can attach to a city's history rather than just an individual. See our History collection for related reflections.
Is there humor in how these quotes treat infamy?
Yes, the repeated joke about not being able to get unfamous is delivered almost as a tongue-in-cheek rule, appearing twice in slightly different phrasing. It plays the concept for a laugh as much as a truth.
Do any quotes accept infamy as inevitable?
One speaker states plainly they'll end up either famous or infamous, treating both outcomes as equally plausible rather than something to avoid. It shows a certain resignation to how public attention works.
What ties these quotes together thematically?
Each one wrestles with reputation as something only partly under a person's control, whether talking about a city, a career, or oneself. See our Fame collection for more on that tension.
