I do not like the killers, and the killing bravely and…
““I do not like the killers, and the killing bravely and well crap. I do not like the bully boys, the Teddy Roosevelt’s, the Hemingways, the Ruarks. They are merely slightly more sophisticated versions of the New Jersey file clerks who swarm into the Adirondacks in the fall, in red cap, beard stubble and taut hero’s grin, talking out of the side of their mouths, exuding fumes of bourbon, come to slay the ferocious white-tailed deer. It is the search for balls. A man should have one chance to bring something down. He should have his shot at something, a shining running something, and see it come a-tumbling down, all mucus and steaming blood stench and gouted excrement, the eyes going dull during the final muscle spasms. And if he is, in all parts and purposes, a man, he will file that away as a part of his process of growth and life and eventual death. And if he is perpetually, hopelessly a boy, he will lust to go do it again, with a bigger beast.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The narrator despises glorified violence and heroics, seeing them as empty rituals; true growth comes from confronting mortality and the raw reality of life.
In simple terms: Violence glorified is empty; real growth is confronting mortality.
Key Takeaway
Seek authentic challenges, not hollow bravado.
Themes
violence
heroism
growth
mortality
Mood
cynical
raw
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- hunting
- combat sports
- career risk‑taking
- personal trials
- creative storytelling
Key Concepts
Existentialism
masculinity
ritualistic behavior
Questions to Reflect On
- What authentic challenge can you face?
- How do you measure true growth?
A Different Perspective
Romanticizing danger can be harmful and misleading.