--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They devour each other and cannot even…" description: "\"They devour each other and cannot even digest themselves.\" — Friedrich Nietzsche" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/friedrich-nietzsche-15_devour_they-devour-each-other-and-cannot-even-d_2777447.jpg" --- # They devour each other and cannot even digest themselves. ![“They devour each other and cannot even digest themselves.” quote by Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/friedrich-nietzsche-15_devour_they-devour-each-other-and-cannot-even-d_2777447.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/friedrich-nietzsche-15_devour_they-devour-each-other-and-cannot-even-d_2777447.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/friedrich-nietzsche-15_devour_they-devour-each-other-and-cannot-even-d_2777447.jpg) > “They devour each other and cannot even digest themselves.” [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## 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 illustrates the self‑destructive nature of conflict where opposing forces consume each other, leaving nothing left to sustain. **In simple terms:** Mutual destruction leaves no nourishment. Key Takeaway Beware of conflicts that erode all parties. Themes conflict self‑destruction philosophy Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - political rivalry - corporate competition - personal relationships - ideological wars Key Concepts Nietzschean critique existential paradox Questions to Reflect On - Can conflict ever lead to growth? - How can we break cycles of mutual harm? A Different Perspective It may overlook the possibility of synthesis or transformation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devour/) [Devour Digest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devour-digest-3079822/) [Digest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digest/) ## Related quotes > [Our growth depends not on how many experiences we devour, but on how many we digest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-growth-depends-not-on-how-many-experiences-we-devour-but-on-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['Life's That Way' was an extraordinarily difficult book to write, because it wasn't written as a book. It was written as a journal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-beaver/life-s-that-way-was-an-extraordinarily-difficult-book-to-write/) [Jim Beaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-beaver/) > [Many eat that on earth that they digest in hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/many-eat-that-on-earth-that-they-digest-in-hell/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [I think people should digest work, not encounter it. You need to bring it in. You need to eat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/i-think-people-should-digest-work-not-encounter-it-you-need-to-bring/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [I enjoy using coconut oil - not only for my skin and hair, but I'll digest it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-ari-parker/i-enjoy-using-coconut-oil-not-only-for-my-skin-and-hair-but-i-ll/) [Nicole Ari Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-ari-parker/) > [I love weird science. I learned in an article in 'National Geographic' that there are trillions of bacteria in our guts that help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hobbs/i-love-weird-science-i-learned-in-an-article-in-national-geographic/) [Will Hobbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hobbs/) > [I think it would be pompous to say I am an underrated actor. I don't think it is for me to think and decide;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randeep-hooda/i-think-it-would-be-pompous-to-say-i-am-an-underrated-actor-i-don-t/) [Randeep Hooda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randeep-hooda/) > [All these bacteria that coat our skin and live in our intestines, they fend off bad bacteria. They protect us. And you can't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-bassler/all-these-bacteria-that-coat-our-skin-and-live-in-our-intestines-they/) [Bonnie Bassler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-bassler/) > [I'm the kind of person where I always digest everything around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevante-rhodes/i-m-the-kind-of-person-where-i-always-digest-everything-around-me/) [Trevante Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevante-rhodes/) > [I use humor as a way to digest anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-giertz/i-use-humor-as-a-way-to-digest-anything/) [Simone Giertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-giertz/) > [Topsoil is a place of digestion. It sucks and chews things into smaller pieces. 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One column, two sentences, a headline!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/digest-digests-digest-digest-digests-politics-one-column-two/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [You know, even with the 'Awkward Black Girl' episodes, they come out once a month. That's great for me, it's comfortable, it gives each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/you-know-even-with-the-awkward-black-girl-episodes-they-come-out-once/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) ## More by Friedrich Nietzsche > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-select-man-strives-instinctively-for-a-citadel-and-a-privacy/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“79. A soul which knows that it is loved, but does not itself love, betrays its sediment: its dregs come up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/79-a-soul-which-knows-that-it-is-loved-but-does-not-itself-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [We deceive ourselves when giving respect to the person for whom we have surrendered ourselves, when we respectively expect them to be as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-deceive-ourselves-when-giving-respect-to-the-person-for-whom-we/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“The great periods of our life occur when we gain the courage to rechristen what is bad about us as what is best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-great-periods-of-our-life-occur-when-we-gain-the-courage-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“What is life? Life - that is: continually shedding something that wants to die. Life - that is: being cruel and inexorable against everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/what-is-life-life-that-is-continually-shedding-something-that-wants/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It is thus only this personal feeling of misery that we get rid of by acts of pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-thus-only-this-personal-feeling-of-misery-that-we-get-rid-of-by/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Writers whose thoughts are expressed with clarity and precision are assumed by readers to be superficial. Where the meaning is obscured, then readers give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/writers-whose-thoughts-are-expressed-with-clarity-and-precision-are/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“he does not wear a twitching, mobile, human face, but rather a mask, as it were, with its features in dignified equilibrium; he does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/he-does-not-wear-a-twitching-mobile-human-face-but-rather-a-mask-as/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Chastity is a virtue with some, but with many it is almost a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/chastity-is-a-virtue-with-some-but-with-many-it-is-almost-a-vice/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The earth is like the breasts of a woman: useful as well as pleasing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-earth-is-like-the-breasts-of-a-woman-useful-as-well-as-pleasing/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Of all that is written I love only what a man has written in his own blood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/of-all-that-is-written-i-love-only-what-a-man-has-written-in-his-own/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Pain makes hens and poets cackle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/pain-makes-hens-and-poets-cackle/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) [Explore all 3,486 Friedrich Nietzsche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More Devour quotes > [“My eyes hunger to read more books then time allows me to devour.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazz-feylynn/my-eyes-hunger-to-read-more-books-then-time-allows-me-to-devour/) [Jazz Feylynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazz-feylynn/) > [“He's a beast. A monster. And he looks like he wants to devour me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/he-s-a-beast-a-monster-and-he-looks-like-he-wants-to-devour-me/) [J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/) > [“Devour your fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-holt/devour-your-fear/) [Simon Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-holt/) > [“My God Made Me With A Rod Of Iron, Therefore, I Am Not Afraid Of The Ten Thousands Of Men Whose Throats Are An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elijah-onyenmeriogu/my-god-made-me-with-a-rod-of-iron-therefore-i-am-not-afraid-of-the/) [Elijah Onyenmeriogu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elijah-onyenmeriogu/) > [Before I came to England, my favorite authors were P. G. Wodehouse and Agatha Christie. I used to devour both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/before-i-came-to-england-my-favorite-authors-were-p-g-wodehouse-and/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“They lurk in the cold and dark.Hungry and,wicked,they wait for their one chance to devour the weak on Sorry Night.Then the vours feast on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-holt/they-lurk-in-the-cold-and-dark-hungry-and-wicked-they-wait-for-their/) [Simon Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-holt/) > [“Devour thy own truths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truth-devour/devour-thy-own-truths/) [Truth Devour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truth-devour/) > [...like a predator about to devour the target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-parry/like-a-predator-about-to-devour-the-target/) [Alan Parry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-parry/) > [“I need to devour you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-snow/i-need-to-devour-you/) [Emily Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-snow/) > [I am a machine condemned to devour books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/i-am-a-machine-condemned-to-devour-books/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [“I devour her. And she consumes me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-snow/i-devour-her-and-she-consumes-me/) [Emily Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-snow/) > [I don't devour huge amounts of television. I'm more naturally inclined to watch movies, but given my job, I need to have an understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rayner/i-don-t-devour-huge-amounts-of-television-i-m-more-naturally-inclined/) [Adam Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rayner/) > [“What if you get called to a fire?” His eyes raked over her as he prepared to devour her. “Let it burn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-altieri/what-if-you-get-called-to-a-fire-his-eyes-raked-over-her-as-he/) [Dawn Altieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-altieri/) > [“Pity." "You're serious? You just met me." "And already I have a strong urge to devour you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-lauren/pity-you-re-serious-you-just-met-me-and-already-i-have-a-strong-urge/) [Christina Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-lauren/) > [Lord please devour all my enemies, that was Pac talking B-tch now back up off me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyga/lord-please-devour-all-my-enemies-that-was-pac-talking-b-tch-now-back/) [Tyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyga/) [Browse all 71 Devour quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devour/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They devour each other and cannot even digest themselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Friedrich Nietzsche" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/they-devour-each-other-and-cannot-even-digest-themselves/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devour" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/they-devour-each-other-and-cannot-even-digest-themselves/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/friedrich-nietzsche-15_devour_they-devour-each-other-and-cannot-even-d_2777447.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/friedrich-nietzsche-15_devour_they-devour-each-other-and-cannot-even-d_2777447.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/friedrich-nietzsche-15_devour_they-devour-each-other-and-cannot-even-d_2777447.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They devour each other and cannot even digest themselves.” — Friedrich Nietzsche", "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": "Friedrich Nietzsche", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "They devour each other and cannot...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/they-devour-each-other-and-cannot-even-digest-themselves/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/they-devour-each-other-and-cannot-even-digest-themselves/#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 } } ] } ```