--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is a ruthless world and one must be…" description: "\"This is a ruthless world and one must be ruthless to cope with it.\" — Charlie Chaplin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/charlie-chaplin-1779_ruthless_this-is-a-ruthless-world-and-one-must-be_1648563.jpg" --- # This is a ruthless world and one must be ruthless to cope… ![“This is a ruthless world and one must be ruthless to cope with it.” quote by Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/charlie-chaplin-1779_ruthless_this-is-a-ruthless-world-and-one-must-be_1648563.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/charlie-chaplin-1779_ruthless_this-is-a-ruthless-world-and-one-must-be_1648563.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/charlie-chaplin-1779_ruthless_this-is-a-ruthless-world-and-one-must-be_1648563.jpg) > “This is a ruthless world and one must be ruthless to cope with it.” [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Survival in a harsh world may demand toughness, but compassion remains essential. **In simple terms:** Ruthlessness can be a survival tool. Key Takeaway Balance strength with empathy. Themes survival ethics humanity Mood somber reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - business competition - personal hardship - social activism Key Concepts masculinity social Darwinism empathy Questions to Reflect On - When is ruthlessness justified? - How can empathy coexist with toughness? A Different Perspective Risk of losing humanity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ruthless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruthless/) [Ruthless Cope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruthless-cope-630402/) [Ruthless World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruthless-world-630400/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Ruthless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-ruthless-630401/) ## Related quotes > [Maybe that, really, is as good a definition as any of an artist in the world: a ruthless person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/maybe-that-really-is-as-good-a-definition-as-any-of-an-artist-in-the/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“a human being living an ordinary everyday life in this brutal, violent, ruthless world – a world which is becoming more and more efficient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-human-being-living-an-ordinary-everyday-life-in-this-brutal-violent/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“The world is ruthless, heartless, hurtful, spiteful, selfish and much more, but that is no reason for you to be the same. That will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namrata/the-world-is-ruthless-heartless-hurtful-spiteful-selfish-and-much/) [Namrata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namrata/) > [“This world is what we have made of it. If it is ruthless today it is because we have made it ruthless by our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/this-world-is-what-we-have-made-of-it-if-it-is-ruthless-today-it-is/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“There was an infinitesimal pause while he watched her face, as though he half expected her to recognise it, before he went on, 'My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-wilkinson/there-was-an-infinitesimal-pause-while-he-watched-her-face-as-though/) [Lee Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-wilkinson/) > [Deathstroke is the dark-mirror version of Batman, basically. He is every bit as resourceful, every bit as ruthless, every bit as powerful as Batman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/deathstroke-is-the-dark-mirror-version-of-batman-basically-he-is/) [Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/) > [Look at these ISIS people. These people are ruthless. They don't operate by any sort of normal civilized code. That's the world. There's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-newbern/look-at-these-isis-people-these-people-are-ruthless-they-don-t/) [George Newbern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-newbern/) > [Where there is no danger of overt action there is rarely any interference with freedom. That is why there has so often been amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/where-there-is-no-danger-of-overt-action-there-is-rarely-any/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [No one seriously doubts Socrates' maxim: The unexamined life isn't worth living. Self-assessment and attempts at self-improvement are essential aspects of "the good life."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-burton/no-one-seriously-doubts-socrates-maxim-the-unexamined-life-isn-t/) [Robert A. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-burton/) > [Ruthless Villain' was supposed to be E's song. But it was too fast for him, so when I rapped it, they was like, 'Man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-ren/ruthless-villain-was-supposed-to-be-e-s-song-but-it-was-too-fast-for/) [MC Ren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-ren/) > [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. But there can be no peace if our security depends on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/as-americans-we-want-peace-we-work-and-sacrifice-for-peace-but-there/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Be ruthless about protecting writing days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/be-ruthless-about-protecting-writing-days/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [Chicago, to me, is the best wrestling crowd on the planet. They are the best. They are loud, they are ruthless, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldust/chicago-to-me-is-the-best-wrestling-crowd-on-the-planet-they-are-the/) [Goldust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldust/) > [Many people, including myself, thought of Jobs as an inventor, an Edison-like figure, but he wasn't. I did a documentary on James Brown recently;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/many-people-including-myself-thought-of-jobs-as-an-inventor-an-edison/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [My old man was ruthless. He terrorised us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/my-old-man-was-ruthless-he-terrorised-us/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) ## More by Charlie Chaplin > [The people are applauding you because none of them understands you and applauding me because everybody understands me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/the-people-are-applauding-you-because-none-of-them-understands-you/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [I am not religious in the dogmatic sense ... I neither believe nor disbelieve in anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-am-not-religious-in-the-dogmatic-sense-i-neither-believe-nor/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Even when I was in the orphanage, when I was roaming the street trying to find enough to eat, even then I thought of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/even-when-i-was-in-the-orphanage-when-i-was-roaming-the-street-trying/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [You are only as good as the woman you are standing beside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/you-are-only-as-good-as-the-woman-you-are-standing-beside/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [my lips never know my problem they just always smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/my-lips-never-know-my-problem-they-just-always-smile/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [“Vosotros no sois ganado, no sois máquinas, sois Hombres.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/vosotros-no-sois-ganado-no-sois-m-quinas-sois-hombres/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Moving pictures need sound as much as Beethoven symphonies need lyrics,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/moving-pictures-need-sound-as-much-as-beethoven-symphonies-need-lyrics/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Time is the best author. It always writes the perfect ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/time-is-the-best-author-it-always-writes-the-perfect-ending/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/in-this-world-there-is-room-for-everyone-and-the-good-earth-is-rich/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Man as an individual is a genius. But men in the mass form the headless monster, a great, brutish idiot that goes where prodded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/man-as-an-individual-is-a-genius-but-men-in-the-mass-form-the/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [The irony in life doing the wrong thing at the right moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/the-irony-in-life-doing-the-wrong-thing-at-the-right-moment/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Man is an animal with primary instincts of survival. Consequently his ingenuity has developed first and his soul afterwards. The progress of science is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/man-is-an-animal-with-primary-instincts-of-survival-consequently-his/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [I don't need interesting camera angles, I am interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-don-t-need-interesting-camera-angles-i-am-interesting/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Nothing in life is permanent, not even one's troubles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/nothing-in-life-is-permanent-not-even-one-s-troubles/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [What do you want a meaning for? Life is a desire, not a meaning. Desire is the theme of life. The meaning of anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/what-do-you-want-a-meaning-for-life-is-a-desire-not-a-meaning-desire/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) [Explore all 199 Charlie Chaplin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) ## More Ruthless quotes > [My old man was ruthless. He terrorised us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/my-old-man-was-ruthless-he-terrorised-us/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) > [Many people, including myself, thought of Jobs as an inventor, an Edison-like figure, but he wasn't. I did a documentary on James Brown recently;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/many-people-including-myself-thought-of-jobs-as-an-inventor-an-edison/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [Chicago, to me, is the best wrestling crowd on the planet. They are the best. They are loud, they are ruthless, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldust/chicago-to-me-is-the-best-wrestling-crowd-on-the-planet-they-are-the/) [Goldust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldust/) > [Be ruthless about protecting writing days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/be-ruthless-about-protecting-writing-days/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. But there can be no peace if our security depends on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/as-americans-we-want-peace-we-work-and-sacrifice-for-peace-but-there/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Ruthless Villain' was supposed to be E's song. But it was too fast for him, so when I rapped it, they was like, 'Man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-ren/ruthless-villain-was-supposed-to-be-e-s-song-but-it-was-too-fast-for/) [MC Ren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-ren/) > [No one seriously doubts Socrates' maxim: The unexamined life isn't worth living. Self-assessment and attempts at self-improvement are essential aspects of "the good life."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-burton/no-one-seriously-doubts-socrates-maxim-the-unexamined-life-isn-t/) [Robert A. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-burton/) > [Where there is no danger of overt action there is rarely any interference with freedom. That is why there has so often been amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/where-there-is-no-danger-of-overt-action-there-is-rarely-any/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [Look at these ISIS people. These people are ruthless. They don't operate by any sort of normal civilized code. That's the world. There's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-newbern/look-at-these-isis-people-these-people-are-ruthless-they-don-t/) [George Newbern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-newbern/) > [Deathstroke is the dark-mirror version of Batman, basically. He is every bit as resourceful, every bit as ruthless, every bit as powerful as Batman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/deathstroke-is-the-dark-mirror-version-of-batman-basically-he-is/) [Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/) > [“There was an infinitesimal pause while he watched her face, as though he half expected her to recognise it, before he went on, 'My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-wilkinson/there-was-an-infinitesimal-pause-while-he-watched-her-face-as-though/) [Lee Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-wilkinson/) > [I'm trying to make the box, trying to be more ruthless, more clinical, and trying to decide games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheem-sterling/i-m-trying-to-make-the-box-trying-to-be-more-ruthless-more-clinical/) [Raheem Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheem-sterling/) > [I've been fortunate to play many different types of characters thus far. However, I really enjoy playing roles that are different than who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-holden/i-ve-been-fortunate-to-play-many-different-types-of-characters-thus/) [Gina Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-holden/) > [Florey was not an easy personality. His drive and ambition were manifest from the day he arrived ... He could be ruthless and selfish;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-drury/florey-was-not-an-easy-personality-his-drive-and-ambition-were/) [Allen Drury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-drury/) > [It's fun playing two roles. The roles provide a wonderful range of emotions. Stuart is childlike and sensitive. Adam is ruthless, outrageous. He's flamboyant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-canary/it-s-fun-playing-two-roles-the-roles-provide-a-wonderful-range-of/) [David Canary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-canary/) [Browse all 433 Ruthless quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruthless/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is a ruthless world and one must be ruthless to cope with it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlie Chaplin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/this-is-a-ruthless-world-and-one-must-be-ruthless-to-cope-with-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ruthless" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/this-is-a-ruthless-world-and-one-must-be-ruthless-to-cope-with-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/charlie-chaplin-1779_ruthless_this-is-a-ruthless-world-and-one-must-be_1648563.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/charlie-chaplin-1779_ruthless_this-is-a-ruthless-world-and-one-must-be_1648563.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/charlie-chaplin-1779_ruthless_this-is-a-ruthless-world-and-one-must-be_1648563.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This is a ruthless world and one must be ruthless to cope with it.” — Charlie Chaplin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charlie Chaplin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "This is a ruthless world and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/this-is-a-ruthless-world-and-one-must-be-ruthless-to-cope-with-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/this-is-a-ruthless-world-and-one-must-be-ruthless-to-cope-with-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```