---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We kill, kill, kill. Flesh, spirit…"
description: "\"“We kill, kill, kill. Flesh, spirit, whatever gets in our way. It's like our whole purpose is to extinguish life. And for those who live, there's memor..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/douglas-clegg-26546_life_we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever_1314959.jpg"
---

#  We kill, kill, kill. Flesh, spirit, whatever gets in our…

![“We kill, kill, kill. Flesh, spirit, whatever gets in our way. It's like our whole purpose is to extinguish life. And for those who live, there's memory, like a curse. We're such a mixture of frailty and cruelty.” quote by Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/douglas-clegg-26546_life_we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever_1314959.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/douglas-clegg-26546_life_we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever_1314959.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/douglas-clegg-26546_life_we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever_1314959.jpg)

> ““We kill, kill, kill. Flesh, spirit, whatever gets in our way. It's like our whole purpose is to extinguish life. And for those who live, there's memory, like a curse. We're such a mixture of frailty and cruelty.””

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Life is portrayed as a relentless struggle where destruction seems inevitable, and memory becomes a burden for survivors.

**In simple terms:** Life feels like endless conflict and memory can be a curse.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the weight of memory and seek compassionate action.

Themes

conflict memory human frailty cruelty

Mood

somber reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- war zones
- personal loss
- mental health counseling
- historical remembrance

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology trauma

Questions to Reflect On

- How does memory shape our identity?
- Can cruelty be transformed into empathy?

A Different Perspective

The view may overlook resilience and hope that also arise from suffering.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Frailty Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frailty-cruelty-4363434/) [Kill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kill/) [Kill Flesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kill-flesh-4051015/) [Kill Kill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kill-kill-427658/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/)

## Related quotes

> [Everytime you feed the flesh, you strenghten it. This is good if you are trying to build a good habit, but detrimental if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/everytime-you-feed-the-flesh-you-strenghten-it-this-is-good-if-you/)

[Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/)

> [“You'll learn. It takes time to kill the flesh, honey. It's kind of like those candles your father used to put on Mitchell's cake--the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-randall/you-ll-learn-it-takes-time-to-kill-the-flesh-honey-it-s-kind-of-like/)

[Heather Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-randall/)

> [Kill one and you might as well kill 21.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-martin/kill-one-and-you-might-as-well-kill-21/)

[Mark Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-martin/)

> [The bank...is trying to kill me, but I will kill it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/the-bank-is-trying-to-kill-me-but-i-will-kill-it/)

[Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/)

> [To kill or not to kill, that was the question that haunted me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/to-kill-or-not-to-kill-that-was-the-question-that-haunted-me/)

[Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/)

> [If you kill her you kill me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-black/if-you-kill-her-you-kill-me/)

[Jacob Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-black/)

> [“If she fails to wake, I will kill him. I will not kill him quickly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sagara/if-she-fails-to-wake-i-will-kill-him-i-will-not-kill-him-quickly/)

[Michelle Sagara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sagara/)

> [Kill yourself before kill u someone with love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anand/kill-yourself-before-kill-u-someone-with-love/)

[Anand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anand/)

> [Kill me, little sister. Kill me and you kill Jace, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/kill-me-little-sister-kill-me-and-you-kill-jace-too/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“I'd kill myself for you, I'd kill you for myself ... {This Love}”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pantera/i-d-kill-myself-for-you-i-d-kill-you-for-myself-this-love/)

[PANTERA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pantera/)

> [It will kill me, it will kill me, it will kill me. And I don't care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-will-kill-me-it-will-kill-me-it-will-kill-me-and-i-don-t-care/)

[Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/)

> [Did she just call me a bleeding toothpick? Kill her! Kill her now!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-estep/did-she-just-call-me-a-bleeding-toothpick-kill-her-kill-her-now/)

[Jennifer Estep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-estep/)

> [“Kill him, you must kill him Jacky, and her, too. Because a real artist must suffer. Because each man kills the thing he loves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/kill-him-you-must-kill-him-jacky-and-her-too-because-a-real-artist/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [You will kill ten of us, we will kill one of you, but in the end, you will tire of it first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ho-chi-minh/you-will-kill-ten-of-us-we-will-kill-one-of-you-but-in-the-end-you/)

[Ho Chi Minh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ho-chi-minh/)

> [“She had to kill him. She had to kill Beckett the next time she saw him or all she’d done to become an exquisite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-anastasia/she-had-to-kill-him-she-had-to-kill-beckett-the-next-time-she-saw-him/)

[Debra Anastasia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-anastasia/)

## More by Douglas Clegg

> [“Old Marsh wore a look of sorrow upon his face. “You called him, miss. You called him. You must send him back now. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/old-marsh-wore-a-look-of-sorrow-upon-his-face-you-called-him-miss-you/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“Death is a gift, so long as it is nature’s hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/death-is-a-gift-so-long-as-it-is-nature-s-hand/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“Death has a price, and all who bargain with the dead must pay it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/death-has-a-price-and-all-who-bargain-with-the-dead-must-pay-it/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“I understood, then, where his madness had come from: He, too, had experienced the loss of the good and the victory of the evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/i-understood-then-where-his-madness-had-come-from-he-too-had/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“He thought he could hear the hum of the universe as he sat there. The airwaves of God, maybe, that kept the whole lunatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/he-thought-he-could-hear-the-hum-of-the-universe-as-he-sat-there-the/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [Victory is freedom of mind and body.' I believe that is true. I would go further and say that victory is freedom of mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/victory-is-freedom-of-mind-and-body-i-believe-that-is-true-i-would-go/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“It is more magnificent than what I thought heaven might be, and yet it is all of its wonder, as well.” ... "Iris, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/it-is-more-magnificent-than-what-i-thought-heaven-might-be-and-yet-it/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“But he was exhausted, too, and not even feeling as if he were alive. Inside him, it felt as if something brilliant, some fire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/but-he-was-exhausted-too-and-not-even-feeling-as-if-he-were-alive/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“everything can work out fine if you just plant your feet on the ground and look straight ahead. Nothing is a tragedy unless you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/everything-can-work-out-fine-if-you-just-plant-your-feet-on-the/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“He put his hand over my mouth. His hand felt warm, full of blood, the hand of a living man. “Death is a gift,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/he-put-his-hand-over-my-mouth-his-hand-felt-warm-full-of-blood-the/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [You know, my basic theory about kids: they are monsters in children ziploc suits, which they discard when they go to school each day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they-are-monsters-in-children/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“He was too damned innocent. Homer wished he could keep Tad at this point, bonsai him to never grow up, to never have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/he-was-too-damned-innocent-homer-wished-he-could-keep-tad-at-this/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“Never go in, miss. Never say a prayer at its door. If you are angry, do not seek revenge by the Laughing Maiden stone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/never-go-in-miss-never-say-a-prayer-at-its-door-if-you-are-angry-do/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [Sometimes, they wait. Sometimes, you see the dead come in to the harbor, and their old dogs are all along the docks, wagging their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/sometimes-they-wait-sometimes-you-see-the-dead-come-in-to-the-harbor/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“Death is not the end of things, my sister. It is the beginning of a greater adventure than this small life you cherish can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/death-is-not-the-end-of-things-my-sister-it-is-the-beginning-of-a/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

[Explore all 21 Douglas Clegg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

## More Cruelty quotes

> [It revealed a cruelty that really made one wonder if the universe was such a good idea after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/it-revealed-a-cruelty-that-really-made-one-wonder-if-the-universe-was/)

[Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/)

> [Nature is pitiless; she never withdraws her flowers, her music, her fragrance, and her sunlight from before human cruelty or suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nature-is-pitiless-she-never-withdraws-her-flowers-her-music-her/)

[Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/)

> [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [There's a certain edge about cruelty. If you're honest about it, most people wince, but say it had to be said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-waterman/there-s-a-certain-edge-about-cruelty-if-you-re-honest-about-it-most/)

[Pete Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-waterman/)

> [He lacked tenderness; he was rude; and he had more than a streak of cruelty in him; he was a thief and a liar.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-du-maurier/he-lacked-tenderness-he-was-rude-and-he-had-more-than-a-streak-of/)

[Daphne du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-du-maurier/)

> [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/)

[James Nayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nayler/)

> [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/)

[Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/)

> [Regarding lack of vision or disabilities of the organ of sight, it has long been known among researchers that it is the effect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-heindel/regarding-lack-of-vision-or-disabilities-of-the-organ-of-sight-it-has/)

[Max Heindel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-heindel/)

> [“When you’re a monster, she thought, you are thanked and praised for not behaving like a monster. She would like to restrain from cruelty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/when-you-re-a-monster-she-thought-you-are-thanked-and-praised-for-not/)

[Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/)

> [What is it the Bible teaches us? - raping, cruelty, and murder. What is it the New Testament teaches us? - to believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-is-it-the-bible-teaches-us-raping-cruelty-and-murder-what-is-it/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [Music comes from the heart and returns to the heart... music is spontaneous, impulsive expression... its range is without limit... music is forever growing...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-stokowski/music-comes-from-the-heart-and-returns-to-the-heart-music-is/)

[Leopold Stokowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-stokowski/)

> [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [You must learn that to endure cruelty is to become cruel yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bleach/you-must-learn-that-to-endure-cruelty-is-to-become-cruel-yourself/)

[Bleach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bleach/)

> [“in every pleasure, cruelty has its place...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/in-every-pleasure-cruelty-has-its-place/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Old people deserves a medal, a medal of existence which crowns their long-term victory against the cruelty of time and the dangers of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/old-people-deserves-a-medal-a-medal-of-existence-which-crowns-their/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

[Browse all 1,675 Cruelty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We kill, kill, kill. Flesh, spirit, whatever gets in our way. It's like our whole purpose is to extinguish life. And for those who live, there's memory, like a curse. We're such a mixture of frailty and cruelty.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Douglas Clegg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever-gets-in-our-way-it-s-like-our/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cruelty"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever-gets-in-our-way-it-s-like-our/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/douglas-clegg-26546_life_we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever_1314959.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/douglas-clegg-26546_life_we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever_1314959.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/douglas-clegg-26546_life_we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever_1314959.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We kill, kill, kill. Flesh, spirit, whatever gets in our way. It's like our whole purpose is to extinguish…” — Douglas Clegg",
                "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": "Douglas Clegg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“We kill, kill, kill. Flesh, spirit,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever-gets-in-our-way-it-s-like-our/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever-gets-in-our-way-it-s-like-our/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
