--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best thing would be to break your…" description: "\"The best thing would be to break your neck, but you'd probably just break your leg and then you couldn't do a thing. You'd yell at the top of your lung..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/haruki-murakami-21_best-things_the-best-thing-would-be-to-break-your-ne_2951700.jpg" --- # The best thing would be to break your neck, but you'd… ![“The best thing would be to break your neck, but you'd probably just break your leg and then you couldn't do a thing. You'd yell at the top of your lungs, but nobody;d hear you, and you couldn't expect anybody to find you, and you'd have centipedes and spiders crawling all over you, and the bones…” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/haruki-murakami-21_best-things_the-best-thing-would-be-to-break-your-ne_2951700.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/haruki-murakami-21_best-things_the-best-thing-would-be-to-break-your-ne_2951700.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/haruki-murakami-21_best-things_the-best-thing-would-be-to-break-your-ne_2951700.jpg) > “The best thing would be to break your neck, but you'd probably just break your leg and then you couldn't do a thing. You'd yell at the top of your lungs, but nobody;d hear you, and you couldn't expect anybody to find you, and you'd have centipedes and spiders crawling all over you, and the bones of the ones who died before are scattered all around you, and it's dark and soggy, and way overhead there's this tiny, tiny circle of light like a winter moon. You die there in this place, little by little, all by yourself.” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid, nightmarish vision of isolation and helplessness when one is trapped in an unrelenting, hostile environment. **In simple terms:** Being alone in a terrible place feels hopeless. Key Takeaway Recognize the value of connection and seek help early. Themes isolation despair survival fear darkness Mood grim despair introspective Type narrative cautionary When to use this quote - lost in wilderness - being trapped in a collapsed building - facing a disaster alone - enduring extreme loneliness Key Concepts existential dread psychological horror environmental threat Questions to Reflect On - How would you maintain hope when completely alone? - What small actions could break the cycle of despair? A Different Perspective Even in dire isolation, human resilience can emerge with support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-things/) [Centipedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centipedes/) [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon/) [Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winter/) [Winter moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winter-moon/) ## Related quotes > [I would still like to go to the moon before I die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-grant/i-would-still-like-to-go-to-the-moon-before-i-die/) [Richard E. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-e-grant/) > [How can the mind be so imperfect?" she says with a smile. I look at my hands. Bathed in the moonlight, they seem like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/how-can-the-mind-be-so-imperfect-she-says-with-a-smile-i-look-at-my/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [There is one thing I would break up over, and that is if she caught me with another woman. I won't stand for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/there-is-one-thing-i-would-break-up-over-and-that-is-if-she-caught-me-3/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [“The easiest thing to break is a man’s heart,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/the-easiest-thing-to-break-is-a-man-s-heart/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [It's a good thing to get a break into the glamour industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manushi-chhillar/it-s-a-good-thing-to-get-a-break-into-the-glamour-industry/) [Manushi Chhillar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manushi-chhillar/) > [From the way that people have always talked about your heart being broken, it sort of seemed to be a one-time thing. Mine seemed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/from-the-way-that-people-have-always-talked-about-your-heart-being/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“The only thing that can break the unbreakable is the unthinkable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/the-only-thing-that-can-break-the-unbreakable-is-the-unthinkable/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [The best thing to break is a contract.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-fields/the-best-thing-to-break-is-a-contract/) [W. C. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-fields/) > [“The only thing I break when I'm drunk is records!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-choate/the-only-thing-i-break-when-i-m-drunk-is-records/) David Choate > [Now what sort of man or woman or monster would stroke a centipede I have ever seen? And here is my good big centipede!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/now-what-sort-of-man-or-woman-or-monster-would-stroke-a-centipede-i/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [I don't go into hysterics or anything, but I look around for something to smash it with. I used to live out in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-don-t-go-into-hysterics-or-anything-but-i-look-around-for-something/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [If your stature were an illness, it seems that the Centipede dispenses medicine to make you well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheshire-cat/if-your-stature-were-an-illness-it-seems-that-the-centipede-dispenses/) [Cheshire Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheshire-cat/) > [Some people come by the name of genius in the same way that certain insects come by the name of centipede -- not because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-come-by-the-name-of-genius-in-the-same-way-that-certain/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not a big fan of spiders, rats, especially if they're like - I got up one morning on a holiday recently, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-burton/i-m-not-a-big-fan-of-spiders-rats-especially-if-they-re-like-i-got-up/) [Tim Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-burton/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## More by Haruki Murakami > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/one-by-one-i-ll-face-the-tasks-before-me-and-complete-them-as-best-i/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Eleven o'clock had come and gone. I had to find a way to bring this conversation to a successful conclusion and get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/eleven-o-clock-had-come-and-gone-i-had-to-find-a-way-to-bring-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Some people get a kick out of reading railway timetables and that's all they do all day. Some people make huge model boats out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-get-a-kick-out-of-reading-railway-timetables-and-that-s/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More Best things quotes > [I need the best things in life, that's women, thats cars. Cigars in Venice, bottle on ice, thats priceless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-need-the-best-things-in-life-that-s-women-thats-cars-cigars-in/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [It hurt, of course, but more often than not the best things do, I've found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-hurt-of-course-but-more-often-than-not-the-best-things-do-i-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The next best thing to being witty one's self, is to be able to be able to quote another's wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/the-next-best-thing-to-being-witty-one-s-self-is-to-be-able-to-be/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [I really believe that our past can really hold us back from growth, so the best thing that we can do is MOVE ON…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-harper/i-really-believe-that-our-past-can-really-hold-us-back-from-growth-so/) [Bob Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-harper/) > [The best thing for you to do is shop at your local farmer's market and support the organic growers who are there. Because those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/the-best-thing-for-you-to-do-is-shop-at-your-local-farmer-s-market/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [The best thing about the term 'performance artist' is that it includes just about everything you might want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/the-best-thing-about-the-term-performance-artist-is-that-it-includes/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [The best things in life are free. Sunsets and sunrises are free. Air is free. Love is free. Death is free. The best things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-best-things-in-life-are-free-sunsets-and-sunrises-are-free-air-is/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I always wanted to be a player, but I never had the talent to make the big leagues. So I did the next best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-finley/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-player-but-i-never-had-the-talent-to-make-the/) Charlie Finley > [I was a 36C or D, and at 5' 1'', I knew that being a small person with big boobs standing in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-was-a-36c-or-d-and-at-5-1-i-knew-that-being-a-small-person-with-big/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Each time I stop somewhere and look out, there are more people sitting there than there were the time I came before. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/each-time-i-stop-somewhere-and-look-out-there-are-more-people-sitting/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [One of the best things that happened for me as a playwright is becoming a comic-book writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-aguirre-sacasa/one-of-the-best-things-that-happened-for-me-as-a-playwright-is/) [Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-aguirre-sacasa/) > [I don't really know who I am as an actor: the best thing would be to experiment with it for the next 30 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-barnes/i-don-t-really-know-who-i-am-as-an-actor-the-best-thing-would-be-to/) [Ben Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-barnes/) > [The best thing about time passing is the privilege of running out of it, of watching the wave of mortality break over me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/the-best-thing-about-time-passing-is-the-privilege-of-running-out-of/) [Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/) > [What was the best thing before sliced bread?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/what-was-the-best-thing-before-sliced-bread/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [The best thing about waking up early is seeing the sun rise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridgit-mendler/the-best-thing-about-waking-up-early-is-seeing-the-sun-rise/) [Bridgit Mendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridgit-mendler/) [Browse all 1,021 Best things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The best thing would be to break your neck, but you'd probably just break your leg and then you couldn't do a thing. 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