A halo has to fall only a few inches to be a noose.

The aphorism plays on the visual similarity between a halo (a symbol of sanctity, innocence, or public admiration) and a noose (a symbol of condemnation, punishment, or ruin). Its point is how quickly moral status can invert: a small “drop” in behavior, reputation, or circumstance can turn praise into peril. It also suggests the fragility of idealization—when someone is placed on a pedestal, the distance to disgrace is short, and the same attention that crowns can also tighten into judgment. More broadly, it warns against both self-righteousness and the public’s tendency to sanctify and then swiftly scapegoat.