--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man kills the thing he loves, and he…" description: "\"A man kills the thing he loves, and he must die a little himself.\" — Clive Barker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/clive-barker-773_kills_a-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-and-he-mu_962305.png" --- # A man kills the thing he loves, and he must die a little… ![“A man kills the thing he loves, and he must die a little himself.” quote by Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/clive-barker-773_kills_a-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-and-he-mu_962305.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/clive-barker-773_kills_a-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-and-he-mu_962305.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/clive-barker-773_kills_a-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-and-he-mu_962305.png) > “A man kills the thing he loves, and he must die a little himself.” [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Loving something can cause self-destruction, and the lover must also experience personal loss. **In simple terms:** Love can be self‑destructive, causing personal pain. Key Takeaway Accept love’s risks. Themes love self‑destruction personal sacrifice Mood melancholic intense Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - artistic expression - personal growth - emotional healing - creative writing Key Concepts psychology tragic romance Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance love and self‑care? - What boundaries protect you from destructive love? A Different Perspective Romanticizing self‑harm can be harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Die Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/die-little-556839/) [Kills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kills/) [Kills Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kills-thing-724848/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Loves Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loves-die-1623971/) [Man Kills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-kills-609482/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [“And each man kills the thing he loves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/and-each-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Each man kills the thing he loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/each-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The claim that every man kills the thing he loves seemed to him a wild guess compared with the near certainty of a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-st-aubyn-2/the-claim-that-every-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-seemed-to-him-a/) [Edward St Aubyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-st-aubyn-2/) > [No damn man kills me and lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-bedford-forrest/no-damn-man-kills-me-and-lives/) [Nathan Bedford Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-bedford-forrest/) > [“Yet each man kills the things he loves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yet-each-man-kills-the-things-he-loves/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The man who kills a man kills a man. The man who kills himself kills all men. As far as he is concerned, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-man-who-kills-a-man-kills-a-man-the-man-who-kills-himself-kills/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The man who kills the animals today is the man who kills the people who get in his way tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dian-fossey/the-man-who-kills-the-animals-today-is-the-man-who-kills-the-people/) [Dian Fossey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dian-fossey/) > [Every man kills the things that he loves. Some with a look, some with flattery, the coward with a kiss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-jerome-dickey/every-man-kills-the-things-that-he-loves-some-with-a-look-some-with/) [Eric Jerome Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-jerome-dickey/) > [Whom man kills, him God restoreth to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/whom-man-kills-him-god-restoreth-to-life/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Old loves, they die hard. Old lies, they die harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nightwish/old-loves-they-die-hard-old-lies-they-die-harder/) [Nightwish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nightwish/) > [“When you marry the one whom your soul loves, you die to self so that you live for your partner. - AHC III”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-carlisle-iii/when-you-marry-the-one-whom-your-soul-loves-you-die-to-self-so-that/) [A.H. Carlisle III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-carlisle-iii/) > [“Some loves never die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-t-sullivan/some-loves-never-die/) [Mark T. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-t-sullivan/) > [One fancies that what one loves cannot die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugenie-de-guerin/one-fancies-that-what-one-loves-cannot-die/) [Eugenie de Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugenie-de-guerin/) > [“Those who loves you they do not die with you but they do all that you die to live. And Those who do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/those-who-loves-you-they-do-not-die-with-you-but-they-do-all-that-you/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [Things You Probably Never Knew or Thought About At least one person in this world loves you so much they would die for you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/things-you-probably-never-knew-or-thought-about-at-least-one-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Clive Barker > [I've always thought that the most extraordinary special effect you could do is to buy a child at the moment of its birth, sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-ve-always-thought-that-the-most-extraordinary-special-effect-you/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [Those old hypocrites. They talk about killing witches but the Good Book’s full of magic. Turning the Nile to blood and parting the Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/those-old-hypocrites-they-talk-about-killing-witches-but-the-good/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [I dreamt a limitless book, A book unbound, Its leaves scattered in fantastic abundance On every line there was a new horizon drawn, New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-dreamt-a-limitless-book-a-book-unbound-its-leaves-scattered-in/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Only when they have outrun the all-too-eager shadows of the Canyon and they are back in the glare of the billboards on Sunset Boulevard,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/only-when-they-have-outrun-the-all-too-eager-shadows-of-the-canyon/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [I firmly believe that a story is only as good as the villain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-firmly-believe-that-a-story-is-only-as-good-as-the-villain/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Let us not neglect the forbidden. Let us not sophisticate ourselves out of the cheap thrill and chill of it: the story told for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/let-us-not-neglect-the-forbidden-let-us-not-sophisticate-ourselves/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [You can plan to be brave - it's even better if you just try to be brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/you-can-plan-to-be-brave-it-s-even-better-if-you-just-try-to-be-brave/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Pleasure is a reward, given to the human system by evolution in return for services rendered to the preservation and increase of the species.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/pleasure-is-a-reward-given-to-the-human-system-by-evolution-in-return/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [I love meeting people who've read my books. The prime reason to be on the planet is to make things I can show to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-love-meeting-people-who-ve-read-my-books-the-prime-reason-to-be-on/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [Nothing happens carelessly. We’re not brought into the world without reason, even though we may never understand the reason. An infant that lives an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/nothing-happens-carelessly-we-re-not-brought-into-the-world-without/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Despite his intent, tears sprang to his eyes, and he went into her embrace, both of them sobbing freely, like enemies joined by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/despite-his-intent-tears-sprang-to-his-eyes-and-he-went-into-her/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [Always, worlds within worlds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/always-worlds-within-worlds/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“I'm an inclusionist. I've always divided up (very, very broadly, I admit) the artistic instincts into the inclusionist and the exclusionist. The exclusionist is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-m-an-inclusionist-i-ve-always-divided-up-very-very-broadly-i-admit/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [I think I'm less and less labelled a 'horror writer'. The books tend not to go on horror shelves any more, and when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-think-i-m-less-and-less-labelled-a-horror-writer-the-books-tend-not/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Horror shows us that the control we believe we have is purely illusory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/horror-shows-us-that-the-control-we-believe-we-have-is-purely-illusory/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) [Explore all 365 Clive Barker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) ## More Kills quotes > [“He who kills from afar knows nothing at all about act of killing. He who kills from afar derives no lesson from life or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arturo-p-rez-reverte/he-who-kills-from-afar-knows-nothing-at-all-about-act-of-killing-he/) [Arturo Pérez-Reverte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arturo-p-rez-reverte/) > [Making a definitive declaration of intent or meaning kills the photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daido-moriyama/making-a-definitive-declaration-of-intent-or-meaning-kills-the/) [Daido Moriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daido-moriyama/) > [Every shot that kills ricochets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-parker/every-shot-that-kills-ricochets/) [Gilbert Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-parker/) > [“everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/everything-kills-everything-else-in-some-way-fishing-kills-me-exactly/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only food: frequently there must be a beverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/why-does-man-kill-he-kills-for-food-and-not-only-food-frequently/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [It really hurts... my silence kills me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessey-kaur/it-really-hurts-my-silence-kills-me/) [Jessey Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessey-kaur/) > [Man is the poet who kills, Woman the angel who eats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-bear/man-is-the-poet-who-kills-woman-the-angel-who-eats/) [Greg Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-bear/) > [“Every dead body that is not exterminated, gets up and kills. The people it kills, get up and kill!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-james-foster/every-dead-body-that-is-not-exterminated-gets-up-and-kills-the-people/) [Dr. James Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-james-foster/) > [Be happy In front of people who don't like you it kills them <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-happy-in-front-of-people-who-don-t-like-you-it-kills-them-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“that's what kills a man: lack of change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/that-s-what-kills-a-man-lack-of-change/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [If life doesnt kill you, emptiness will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sangfroid-stalker/if-life-doesnt-kill-you-emptiness-will/) [SangFroid Stalker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sangfroid-stalker/) > [“War is no joke, it seems. It destroys, kills, burns, separates, brings unhappiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zlata-filipovi/war-is-no-joke-it-seems-it-destroys-kills-burns-separates-brings/) [Zlata Filipović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zlata-filipovi/) > [“Yet each man kills the thing he loves, By each let this be heard, Some do it with a bitter look, Some with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yet-each-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-by-each-let-this-be-heard-some/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Three-letter word that kills you for sure - Ego.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saru-singhal/three-letter-word-that-kills-you-for-sure-ego/) [Saru Singhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saru-singhal/) > [“Fame kills brain cells”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fame-kills-brain-cells/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 276 Kills quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kills/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man kills the thing he loves, and he must die a little himself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clive Barker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/a-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-and-he-must-die-a-little-himself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Kills" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/a-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-and-he-must-die-a-little-himself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/clive-barker-773_kills_a-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-and-he-mu_962305.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/clive-barker-773_kills_a-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-and-he-mu_962305.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/clive-barker-773_kills_a-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-and-he-mu_962305.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man kills the thing he loves, and he must die a little himself.” — Clive Barker", "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": "Clive Barker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man kills the thing he...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/a-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-and-he-must-die-a-little-himself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/a-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-and-he-must-die-a-little-himself/#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 } } ] } ```