--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because I have this theory that when we…" description: "\"“Because I have this theory that when we die, every animal that we've eaten has a chance at eating us back. So if you're a carnivore and you add up all..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/david-levithan-67_carnivore_because-i-have-this-theory-that-when-we_3124937.jpg" --- # Because I have this theory that when we die, every animal… ![“Because I have this theory that when we die, every animal that we've eaten has a chance at eating us back. So if you're a carnivore and you add up all the animals you've eaten - well, that's a long time in purgatory, being chewed” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/david-levithan-67_carnivore_because-i-have-this-theory-that-when-we_3124937.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/david-levithan-67_carnivore_because-i-have-this-theory-that-when-we_3124937.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/david-levithan-67_carnivore_because-i-have-this-theory-that-when-we_3124937.jpg) > ““Because I have this theory that when we die, every animal that we've eaten has a chance at eating us back. So if you're a carnivore and you add up all the animals you've eaten - well, that's a long time in purgatory, being chewed”” [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker humorously suggests that eating animals may cause karmic retribution after death. **In simple terms:** Eating animals might lead to being eaten later. Key Takeaway Consider the ethical implications of your diet. Themes ethics karma dietary choices Mood playful provocative Type philosophical humorous When to use this quote - personal food choices - vegetarian/vegan discussions Key Concepts moral reciprocity life cycles Questions to Reflect On - Do you believe actions have consequences beyond life? - How might this idea affect your eating habits? A Different Perspective The claim is speculative and not scientifically proven. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carnivore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carnivore/) [Carnivore Add](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carnivore-add-5503350/) [David-levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/david-levithan/) [Eaten Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eaten-long-5225359/) [Eating Carnivore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating-carnivore-1698740/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Purgatory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purgatory/) [Purgatory Chewed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purgatory-chewed-1698741/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Vegetarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vegetarian/) ## Related quotes > [“Are you a vegetarian?” I ask, based on the evidence in front of me. She nods. “Why?” “Because I have this theory that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/are-you-a-vegetarian-i-ask-based-on-the-evidence-in-front-of-me-she/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Are you a vegetarian?' I ask, based on the evidence in front of me. She nods. 'Why?' 'Because I have this theory that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/are-you-a-vegetarian-i-ask-based-on-the-evidence-in-front-of-me-she-2/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [People like to warn you that by the time you reach the middle of your life, passion will begin to feel like a meal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/people-like-to-warn-you-that-by-the-time-you-reach-the-middle-of-your/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“boundbydad: and, so you meanwhile, no bid saturday night plans? more quality time with mom? grayscale: you, my dear, are my saturday night plans.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/boundbydad-and-so-you-meanwhile-no-bid-saturday-night-plans-more/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“That's the law I've set down for myself--don't disrupt the life you're living in. Leave it as close to the same as you can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/that-s-the-law-i-ve-set-down-for-myself-don-t-disrupt-the-life-you-re/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When we embrace, one of us is always holding the other a little tighter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-we-embrace-one-of-us-is-always-holding-the-other-a-little-tighter/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I want to argue with her, tell her that "sins of the flesh" is just a control mechanism-if you demonize a person's pleasure, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-want-to-argue-with-her-tell-her-that-sins-of-the-flesh-is-just-a/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“is that what relationships become? A reduced version of the hurt, nothing else let in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/is-that-what-relationships-become-a-reduced-version-of-the-hurt-2/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“why do you have to fix the salad? who broke it? i didn't touch it. did you break the salad, mom? if you did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/why-do-you-have-to-fix-the-salad-who-broke-it-i-didn-t-touch-it-did/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“He’s a fuckup, but he’s my fuckup,” and I thought, Oh, shit, I really shouldn’t be relating to this, but I am, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/he-s-a-fuckup-but-he-s-my-fuckup-and-i-thought-oh-shit-i-really/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You can find sorrow in the arithmetic, and you can find a bittersweet hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-can-find-sorrow-in-the-arithmetic-and-you-can-find-a-bittersweet/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The spot was empty. Empty but not void. Void is when there is absolutely nothing there and the nothing is natural, a complete vacuum.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-spot-was-empty-empty-but-not-void-void-is-when-there-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I don't have the heart to tell him that's the wrong way to think about the world. There will always be more questions Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-don-t-have-the-heart-to-tell-him-that-s-the-wrong-way-to-think/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Love is love. I have never fallen in love with a gender. I have fallen for individuals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/love-is-love-i-have-never-fallen-in-love-with-a-gender-i-have-fallen/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i have no idea what truth has to do with love, and vice versa. i’m not even thinking in terms of love here. it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-have-no-idea-what-truth-has-to-do-with-love-and-vice-versa-i-m-not/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More by David Levithan > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. So give it a shot, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/patrick-is-she-worth-the-trouble-cameron-i-thought-she-was-patrick/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“We saw our friends die. But we also see our friends live. So many of them live, and we often toast their long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-saw-our-friends-die-but-we-also-see-our-friends-live-so-many-of/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/maybe-tonight-you-re-scared-of-falling-and-maybe-there-s-somebody/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You never told me what you saw in him, not convincingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-never-told-me-what-you-saw-in-him-not-convincingly/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When you break someone's heart, you also break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-break-someone-s-heart-you-also-break-yours/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Because toward the end all the words started leaving. Except for the ones that had to lock up at the end of the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-toward-the-end-all-the-words-started-leaving-except-for-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. "There are things I miss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/misgivings-n-last-night-i-got-up-the-courage-to-ask-you-if-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More Carnivore quotes > [I did this book 'Harvest for Hope,' and I learned so much about food. And one thing I learned is that we have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-did-this-book-harvest-for-hope-and-i-learned-so-much-about-food-and/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [He burst into the house and ate Grandma, an entirely valid course of action for a carnivore such as himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-finn-garner/he-burst-into-the-house-and-ate-grandma-an-entirely-valid-course-of/) [James Finn Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-finn-garner/) > [I have yet to meet a carnivore who doesn't love a sausage roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/i-have-yet-to-meet-a-carnivore-who-doesn-t-love-a-sausage-roll/) [Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/) > [There were studies that asked people in different cultures to draw pictures of their enemies, and the pictures all looked remarkably the same. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/there-were-studies-that-asked-people-in-different-cultures-to-draw/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [I'm the god of war, the resurrector of the horror-core. The carnivore, destroying you wasn't hard at all](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinnie-paz/i-m-the-god-of-war-the-resurrector-of-the-horror-core-the-carnivore/) [Vinnie Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinnie-paz/) > [I'm a carnivore. I really like to eat meat. I crave iron, so I am definitely not the kind of person who you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-ratajkowski/i-m-a-carnivore-i-really-like-to-eat-meat-i-crave-iron-so-i-am/) [Emily Ratajkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-ratajkowski/) > [“You look like the cat that ate the canary." "As a vegetarian, I object to that metaphor." Scout grinned teethily at me. "As a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/you-look-like-the-cat-that-ate-the-canary-as-a-vegetarian-i-object-to/) [Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/) > [“Are you a vegetarian?” I ask, based on the evidence in front of me. She nods. “Why?” “Because I have this theory that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/are-you-a-vegetarian-i-ask-based-on-the-evidence-in-front-of-me-she/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I say, if you're going to eat a creature alive, you have to expect some screaming. That is the carnivore's burden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-say-if-you-re-going-to-eat-a-creature-alive-you-have-to-expect-some/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I'm like a carnivore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-murray/i-m-like-a-carnivore/) [Jamal Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-murray/) > [“Pulling back, like a savage carnivore at its prey, it tore a large chunk of meat rendering his left arm useless...regardless he did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-buck/pulling-back-like-a-savage-carnivore-at-its-prey-it-tore-a-large/) [Stacy Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-buck/) > [“Admit it, Ella. It's not so bad being a carnivore." I reached for a chunk of bread and dabbed it in soft yellow butter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/admit-it-ella-it-s-not-so-bad-being-a-carnivore-i-reached-for-a-chunk/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“That is the way with all of your kind… It is how you are made; you must all strive to claw your way over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/that-is-the-way-with-all-of-your-kind-it-is-how-you-are-made-you-must/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [“What do you call a dumb carnivore? A meathead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-do-you-call-a-dumb-carnivore-a-meathead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm somewhat shy about the brutal facts of being a carnivore. I don't like meat to look like animals. I prefer it in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-m-somewhat-shy-about-the-brutal-facts-of-being-a-carnivore-i-don-t/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Browse all 29 Carnivore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carnivore/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Because I have this theory that when we die, every animal that we've eaten has a chance at eating us back. 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