An anecdote is a funny little story; an antidote counteracts poison. Tell someone an anecdote about your close encounter with a rattlesnake and how the cute park ranger had to get you the antidote for snake venom right away.
An anecdote is a story someone tells about themselves or people they know. It's often short and unreliable. That rattlesnake encounter? Well, maybe you embellished a bit — you saw a rattlesnake, but it didn't bite you. Anecdotes can be true or false; they're revealing little tales:
All the little anecdotes I had heard of him pleased me very much. (Miranda Eliot Swan)
Chrissie eagerly took up the subject and soon both veterans were coming out with anecdotes about all the hilarious things Martin had got up to. (Never Let Me Go)
Mr. Smith offered only anecdotes to back his beliefs. (New York Times)
An antidote cures what ails you. It's an actual counteragent to a poison, like snake venom. It is also used figuratively for anything that neutralizes or counterbalances an unpleasant feeling or situation. Here are some examples:
Then he told the physician there was only one way to save Wang's life — an antidote called Prussian Blue. (Daily Mail.uk)
Forced blossoms are an antidote to the gloomy winter months (Digthedirt.com)
An anecdote is a memoir sound bite, a little story. They're fun, but they don't change your destiny. But antidote, is anti-poison, so dote on situations that require antidotes — your life may be on the line.