--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I could barely believe myself. IOI had…" description: "\"“I could barely believe myself. IOI had actually tried to kill me. To prevent me from winning a videogame contest. It was insane.”\" — Ernest Cline" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad0/ernest-cline-1857_death_i-could-barely-believe-myself-ioi-had-ac_2810826.png" --- # I could barely believe myself. IOI had actually tried to… ![“I could barely believe myself. IOI had actually tried to kill me. To prevent me from winning a videogame contest. It was insane.” quote by Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad0/ernest-cline-1857_death_i-could-barely-believe-myself-ioi-had-ac_2810826.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad0/ernest-cline-1857_death_i-could-barely-believe-myself-ioi-had-ac_2810826.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad0/ernest-cline-1857_death_i-could-barely-believe-myself-ioi-had-ac_2810826.png) > ““I could barely believe myself. IOI had actually tried to kill me. To prevent me from winning a videogame contest. It was insane.”” [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote recounts a shocking experience where the organization IOI attempted to kill the speaker to prevent winning a video game contest, describing it as insane. **In simple terms:** IOI tried to kill the narrator to stop them winning a game. Key Takeaway Beware of extreme competition tactics. Themes gaming danger conspiracy extreme competition Mood entertaining cautionary reflective Type gaming fiction When to use this quote - dramatic - humorous - personal Key Concepts fiction thriller gaming culture Practical Applications - video game contests - fictional narratives - author anecdotes Questions to Reflect On - What drives organizations to such extremes? - How does this reflect real‑world competition? A Different Perspective Extreme measures can arise in high stakes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe Ioi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-ioi-3518881/) [Believe Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-myself/) [Contest Insane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contest-insane-3518880/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Ernest-cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ernest-cline-56935/) [Explosion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explosion/) [Insane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insane/) [Ioi Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ioi-actually-3518879/) [Prevent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prevent/) [Ready-player-one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ready-player-one-154768/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) [Tried Kill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tried-kill/) [Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wade/) [Wade-watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wade-watts-202596/) ## Related quotes > [“It suddenly occurred to me just how absurd this scene was: a guy wearing a suit of armor, standing next to an undead king,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/it-suddenly-occurred-to-me-just-how-absurd-this-scene-was-a-guy/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [“If I was feeling depressed or frustrated about my lot in life, all I had to do was tap the Player One button, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/if-i-was-feeling-depressed-or-frustrated-about-my-lot-in-life-all-i/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [“Anonymity was one of the major perks of the OASIS.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/anonymity-was-one-of-the-major-perks-of-the-oasis/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [“That’s the first rule of online romances, pal. 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