Act uprightly, and despise calumny; dirt may stick to a mud wall, but not to polished marble. — Benjamin Franklin
The downside of taking the high-road is hard to find; try taking it more often. It may seem like more effort, but it will be less trouble.
It took me a log time to discover that it is not good enough to avoid talking trash; you must also avoid spending time with those that do. Again, this is a little effort that will save a lot of trouble.
If you take care of your reputation, it tends to start taking care of you. It does matter what others think of you; and it impacts how and if they will interact with you.