--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is easier to kill than to heal. It is…" description: "\"It is easier to kill than to heal. It is easier to destroy than to preserve. It is easier to tear down than to build. Those who feed on destructive emo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/367/anne-bishop-2536_ambition_it-is-easier-to-kill-than-to-heal-it-is_632193.jpg" --- # It is easier to kill than to heal. It is easier to destroy… ![“It is easier to kill than to heal. It is easier to destroy than to preserve. It is easier to tear down than to build. Those who feed on destructive emotions and ambitions and deny the responsibilities that are the price of wielding power can bring down everything you care for and would protect. Be…” quote by Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/367/anne-bishop-2536_ambition_it-is-easier-to-kill-than-to-heal-it-is_632193.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/367/anne-bishop-2536_ambition_it-is-easier-to-kill-than-to-heal-it-is_632193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/367/anne-bishop-2536_ambition_it-is-easier-to-kill-than-to-heal-it-is_632193.jpg) > “It is easier to kill than to heal. It is easier to destroy than to preserve. It is easier to tear down than to build. Those who feed on destructive emotions and ambitions and deny the responsibilities that are the price of wielding power can bring down everything you care for and would protect. Be on guard, always.” [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage warns that destructive impulses and neglect of responsibility can ruin what one seeks to protect. **In simple terms:** Destruction is easier than creation, but harmful. Key Takeaway Guard against destructive motives. Themes power destruction responsibility Mood cautionary serious Type warning philosophical When to use this quote - political leadership - corporate governance - personal relationships - community building Key Concepts ethics leadership emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - What checks can prevent abuse of power? - How do you balance ambition with responsibility? A Different Perspective Power can corrupt even well‑intended leaders. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) ## Related quotes > [Love heals and kills but some say is a pit people fall into...i want u to know that what heals you can never kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-heals-and-kills-but-some-say-is-a-pit-people-fall-into-i-want-u/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Women now wield considerable power along political lines and I believe each succeeding year for some time to come will find them wielding that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertha-knight-landes/women-now-wield-considerable-power-along-political-lines-and-i/) Bertha Knight Landes > [Politics is the art of acquiring, holding, and wielding power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-is-the-art-of-acquiring-holding-and-wielding-power/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [... liberal intellectualstend to have a classical theory of politics, in which the state has a monopoly of power; hoping thatthose in positions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/liberal-intellectualstend-to-have-a-classical-theory-of-politics-in/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [Elizabeth Warren is, I think, a great demonstration of the kind of movement-oriented model-wielding power from within the Senate. Over and over, she's rallied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-wikler/elizabeth-warren-is-i-think-a-great-demonstration-of-the-kind-of/) [Ben Wikler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-wikler/) > [The biggest problem that women have is being ambivalent about their own power, ... We should be comfortable with the idea of wielding power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/the-biggest-problem-that-women-have-is-being-ambivalent-about-their/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [“Adults think they're wielding power, but really power is wielding them”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/adults-think-they-re-wielding-power-but-really-power-is-wielding-them/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“It was easier to kill guilty men than sell innocent women”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/it-was-easier-to-kill-guilty-men-than-sell-innocent-women/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [It’s easier to kill people, when you’re dead yourself,” she told him. “I mean, it’s not such a big deal. You’re not so prejudiced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-easier-to-kill-people-when-you-re-dead-yourself-she-told-him-i/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Strange as it may seem—or perhaps it does not seem so strange—they all had the same thought: it was so much easier to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/strange-as-it-may-seem-or-perhaps-it-does-not-seem-so-strange-they/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [It’s easier to kill people, when you’re dead yourself. I mean, it’s not such a big deal. You’re not so prejudiced any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-easier-to-kill-people-when-you-re-dead-yourself-i-mean-it-s-not/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When one nation is at war with another nation, the political machine does everything it can to vilify the people of the other nation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-siddig/when-one-nation-is-at-war-with-another-nation-the-political-machine/) [Alexander Siddig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-siddig/) > [“It’s always easier to kill someone else’s darlings than it is to kill your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-s-always-easier-to-kill-someone-else-s-darlings-than-it-is-to-kill/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I'm just saying it's easier to kill a cat than dispose of a car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dobbin/i-m-just-saying-it-s-easier-to-kill-a-cat-than-dispose-of-a-car/) [John Dobbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dobbin/) > [It's generally much easier to kill an organization than to change it substantially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/it-s-generally-much-easier-to-kill-an-organization-than-to-change-it/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) ## More by Anne Bishop > [“Surreal realized Daemon’s madness was confined to emotions, to people, to that single tragedy he couldn’t face. It was as if Titian had never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/surreal-realized-daemon-s-madness-was-confined-to-emotions-to-people/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [“They went to the tree. Daemon dismounted and leaned against the tree, staring in the direction of the house. The stallion jiggled the bit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/they-went-to-the-tree-daemon-dismounted-and-leaned-against-the-tree/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [“Too much power. Too much. Even the Blood weren’t meant to wield this much power. Even Witch had never controlled this much power. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/too-much-power-too-much-even-the-blood-weren-t-meant-to-wield-this/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [“Are there weapons in a bookstore?' 'It's a store full of books, which are objects that can be thrown as well as read,' Monty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/are-there-weapons-in-a-bookstore-it-s-a-store-full-of-books-which-are/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [That is a list of the Territories that yielded to Ebon Askavi. They now stand within the shadow of the Keep. They are mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/that-is-a-list-of-the-territories-that-yielded-to-ebon-askavi-they/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [“The lover is the father’s mirror. The brother stands between. The mirror spins, spins, spins. Blood. So much blood. He clings to the island…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/the-lover-is-the-father-s-mirror-the-brother-stands-between-the/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [“Do any of them realize that Simon Wolfgard is falling in love with Meg Corbyn? Monty wondered. Does Wolfgard understand his own response to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/do-any-of-them-realize-that-simon-wolfgard-is-falling-in-love-with/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [ “I can do this,” \[Daemon\] crooned, slowly circling around her. “I can keep Dorothea and Hekatah off-balance enough to keep the others safe and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/i-can-do-this-daemon-crooned-slowly-circling-around-her-i-can-keep/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [Briarwood is the pretty poison. There is no cure for Briarwood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/briarwood-is-the-pretty-poison-there-is-no-cure-for-briarwood/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [“Meg nodded. She didn’t understand the feeling, but she turned the words into a kind of image that she could recall later. “Anyway,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/meg-nodded-she-didn-t-understand-the-feeling-but-she-turned-the-words/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [“Because you’re going to help me train a seven-year-old Witch who’s got the raw power right now to turn us both into dust and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/because-you-re-going-to-help-me-train-a-seven-year-old-witch-who-s/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [“Saetan laughed, genuinely amused. “No, I wouldn’t think he would. He’s in his prime, virile, living, and well trained in seduction. That twelve-year-old body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/saetan-laughed-genuinely-amused-no-i-wouldn-t-think-he-would-he-s-in/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [“We know how it ends practically before it starts. That´s why stories appeal to us. They give us the clarity and simplicity our real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/we-know-how-it-ends-practically-before-it-starts-that-s-why-stories/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [“But during the day... that was life. The collection of small details that made up a shared day were what gave richness to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/but-during-the-day-that-was-life-the-collection-of-small-details-that/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [Let your heart travel lightly. Because what you bring with you becomes part of the landscape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/let-your-heart-travel-lightly-because-what-you-bring-with-you-becomes/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) [Explore all 161 Anne Bishop quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) ## More Ambition quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-s-worth-is-no-greater-than-the-worth-of-his-ambitions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Work towards your goal and dont watch the post size,its either they hate,or like you.there is no room for both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-buabeng/work-towards-your-goal-and-dont-watch-the-post-size-its-either-they/) [Isaac Buabeng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-buabeng/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [I play for high stakes and given an audience - there is no act too daring or too noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-play-for-high-stakes-and-given-an-audience-there-is-no-act-too/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [There's nothing worse than a leader who lacks ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-leader-who-lacks-ambition/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If i can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition i have is nothing but talk..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoro/if-i-can-t-even-protect-my-captain-s-dream-then-whatever-ambition-i/) [Zoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoro/) > [It may seem unattainable but if you put actions, your heart and your mind into it, you will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/it-may-seem-unattainable-but-if-you-put-actions-your-heart-and-your/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/) [Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/) [Browse all 4,601 Ambition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is easier to kill than to heal. 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