---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Killing your rival doesn’t guarantee…"
description: "\"Killing your rival doesn’t guarantee happiness. Sometimes it ruins any chance you have of it instead. Memories of dead men hold far more power than the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/jeaniene-frost-335_annoyance_killing-your-rival-doesn-t-guarantee-hap_1690723.png"
---

#  Killing your rival doesn’t guarantee happiness. Sometimes…

![“Killing your rival doesn’t guarantee happiness. Sometimes it ruins any chance you have of it instead. Memories of dead men hold far more power than the annoyances of living ones.” quote by Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/jeaniene-frost-335_annoyance_killing-your-rival-doesn-t-guarantee-hap_1690723.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/jeaniene-frost-335_annoyance_killing-your-rival-doesn-t-guarantee-hap_1690723.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/jeaniene-frost-335_annoyance_killing-your-rival-doesn-t-guarantee-hap_1690723.png)

> “Killing your rival doesn’t guarantee happiness. Sometimes it ruins any chance you have of it instead. Memories of dead men hold far more power than the annoyances of living ones.”

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

## About This Quote

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

Killing a rival may remove a competitor but often destroys the chance for happiness; memories of the dead can be more powerful than living annoyances.

**In simple terms:** Eliminate rivals, lose happiness; dead memories outweigh living annoyances.

Key Takeaway

Consider consequences before harming others.

Themes

power happiness memory consequences

Mood

reflective somber

Type

philosophical advice

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- career competition
- grief processing
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

Moral philosophy psychology legacy

Questions to Reflect On

- What would you sacrifice for happiness?
- Do memories of loss shape your actions?

A Different Perspective

Power can corrupt intentions and lead to regret.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Annoyance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/annoyance/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Dead man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-man/) [Dead Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-men/) [Guarantees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guarantees/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Killing Rival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-rival-1052378/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Rival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rival/) [Rival Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rival-doesn-881194/) [Rivals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivals/) [Ruins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruins/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/)

## Related quotes

> [I've always said that Champions League games are special; you have to give respect to your rival and it doesn't matter that they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-otamendi/i-ve-always-said-that-champions-league-games-are-special-you-have-to/)

[Nicolas Otamendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-otamendi/)

> [Dead men would start and move toward me to learn of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilda-doolittle/dead-men-would-start-and-move-toward-me-to-learn-of-love/)

[Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilda-doolittle/)

> [“Dead men cannot take effective action; their power of influence on others lasts only till the grave. Deeds and actions that energise others belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-athanasius/dead-men-cannot-take-effective-action-their-power-of-influence-on/)

[St. Athanasius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-athanasius/)

> [A real woman needs quotes by dead men to get through the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-esparza/a-real-woman-needs-quotes-by-dead-men-to-get-through-the-day/)

[Felipe Esparza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-esparza/)

> [Dead men always have the last laugh. They win. They're dead. You can't hurt their feelings anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-mccombs/dead-men-always-have-the-last-laugh-they-win-they-re-dead-you-can-t/)

[Cass McCombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-mccombs/)

> [I think we are in rats’ alley Where the dead men lost their bones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-we-are-in-rats-alley-where-the-dead-men-lost-their-bones/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Books are all right, but dead men's brains are no good unless you mix a live one's with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/books-are-all-right-but-dead-men-s-brains-are-no-good-unless-you-mix/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [We forget that we are all dead men conversing with dead men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/we-forget-that-we-are-all-dead-men-conversing-with-dead-men/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

> [Nothing is dead: men feign themselves dead, and endure mock funerals and mournful obituaries, and there they stand looking out ofthe window, sound and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/nothing-is-dead-men-feign-themselves-dead-and-endure-mock-funerals/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [We are all dead men on leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-levine/we-are-all-dead-men-on-leave/)

[Eugen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-levine/)

> [Who waite for dead men shall goe long barefoote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heywood/who-waite-for-dead-men-shall-goe-long-barefoote/)

[John Heywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heywood/)

> [Nothing is worth anything to dead men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arya/nothing-is-worth-anything-to-dead-men/)

[Arya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arya/)

> [And he that will this health deny, down among the dead men let him lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer/and-he-that-will-this-health-deny-down-among-the-dead-men-let-him-lie/)

[John Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer/)

> [Dead men tell no tales, Mary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dead-men-tell-no-tales-mary/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Silvio, I gotta go, find out something only dead men know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/silvio-i-gotta-go-find-out-something-only-dead-men-know/)

[Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/)

## More by Jeaniene Frost

> [Or for the gorgeously bare vampire to give her a sensual massage while feeding her peeled grapes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/or-for-the-gorgeously-bare-vampire-to-give-her-a-sensual-massage/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [“Stop it,” Adrian ordered, his strange accent thicker with his vehemence. “I promise, I’m not going to hurt you!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/stop-it-adrian-ordered-his-strange-accent-thicker-with-his-vehemence/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [“All right, you deadly little ghostlings,” I muttered. “Mama says go back to bed! - Cat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/all-right-you-deadly-little-ghostlings-i-muttered-mama-says-go-back/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [I’m in, Cat. I’d never leave you. Especially when you’ve got death breathing down your neck.” “Very funny,” I retorted, since Bones was inches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-m-in-cat-i-d-never-leave-you-especially-when-you-ve-got-death/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [“I remember hearing you scream, Cat, and seeing your face. But I don’t remember dying. And how can I go on if I’m dead?”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-remember-hearing-you-scream-cat-and-seeing-your-face-but-i-don-t/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [Cat cleared her throat in the tense silence that followed. “Uh, before this goes any further, let’s at least introduce ourselves to your friend.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/cat-cleared-her-throat-in-the-tense-silence-that-followed-uh-before/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [“I went over to the narrow closet and picked out another outfit, glancing behind me to make sure Bones had shut the door before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-went-over-to-the-narrow-closet-and-picked-out-another-outfit/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [You can run from the grave, but you can't hide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/you-can-run-from-the-grave-but-you-can-t-hide/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [Wouldn’t that make a charming epitaph? Here lies Cat. Killed not by fang, but Ferragamos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/wouldn-t-that-make-a-charming-epitaph-here-lies-cat-killed-not-by/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [“I was too shocked to respond, but Bones's laughter broke the silence. "You must be taking a piss on me." "Am I expected to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-was-too-shocked-to-respond-but-bones-s-laughter-broke-the-silence/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [The paranormal bad boy is usually a fiercely loyal partner for the heroine. Once his sights are set on her, he doesn't notice other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/the-paranormal-bad-boy-is-usually-a-fiercely-loyal-partner-for-the/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [“A shrug. “I wasn’t sent to you until now.” “Are you serious?” Incredulity sharpened my tone. “Is your boss in a bad mood, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/a-shrug-i-wasn-t-sent-to-you-until-now-are-you-serious-incredulity/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [I'm sorry I can't give you the normal life you wanted, but I promise to adore you every day for the rest of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-m-sorry-i-can-t-give-you-the-normal-life-you-wanted-but-i-promise/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [You can hear my dreams? God, you must never get any quiet. I'd be shooting myself in the head if I were you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/you-can-hear-my-dreams-god-you-must-never-get-any-quiet-i-d-be/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [“As the saying goes, today isn’t your day and tomorrow doesn’t look good, either.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/as-the-saying-goes-today-isn-t-your-day-and-tomorrow-doesn-t-look/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

[Explore all 647 Jeaniene Frost quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

## More Annoyance quotes

> [“See? Injustice. Here we are, risking our lives to rescue Kai and this whole planet, and Adri and Pearl get to go to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/see-injustice-here-we-are-risking-our-lives-to-rescue-kai-and-this/)

[Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/)

> [“People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." Isaac Asimov”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohi-shetty/people-who-think-they-know-everything-are-a-great-annoyance-to-those/)

[Rohi Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohi-shetty/)

> [Memories which someday will become all beautiful when the last annoyance that encumbers them shall have faded out of our minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/memories-which-someday-will-become-all-beautiful-when-the-last/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [“Dredging up some semblance of annoyance, Celaena stuck out her tongue. At the guards, at the market, at the hawk on the nearby chimney,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/dredging-up-some-semblance-of-annoyance-celaena-stuck-out-her-tongue/)

[Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/)

> [I had a great dislike to the annoyances entailed by baggage; and it was always with some feeling of elation that I cut myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/i-had-a-great-dislike-to-the-annoyances-entailed-by-baggage-and-it/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [If we will only surrender ourselves utterly to the Lord, and will trust Him perfectly, we shall find our souls "mounting up with wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-whitall-smith/if-we-will-only-surrender-ourselves-utterly-to-the-lord-and-will/)

[Hannah Whitall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-whitall-smith/)

> [The military and the clergy cause us much annoyance; the clergy and the military, they empty our wallets and rob our intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/the-military-and-the-clergy-cause-us-much-annoyance-the-clergy-and/)

[Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/)

> [By all means give vent to your anger, let it out in nondestructive ways--if you are still deciding to have it. But begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/by-all-means-give-vent-to-your-anger-let-it-out-in-nondestructive/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [“...the presence of others has become even more intolerable to me, their conversation most of all. Oh, how it all annoys and exasperates me:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-lorrain/the-presence-of-others-has-become-even-more-intolerable-to-me-their/)

[Jean Lorrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-lorrain/)

> [I'm intensely private, and I've openly shown annoyance at the paparazzi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-moore/i-m-intensely-private-and-i-ve-openly-shown-annoyance-at-the-paparazzi/)

[Demi Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-moore/)

> [Let my style capture all the sounds of my time. This should make it an annoyance to my contemporaries. But later generations should hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/let-my-style-capture-all-the-sounds-of-my-time-this-should-make-it-an/)

[Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/)

> [Many of the things that bring delight should not be owned. They are more enjoyed if another's, than if yours; the first day they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/many-of-the-things-that-bring-delight-should-not-be-owned-they-are/)

[Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/)

> [Raziel’s sixty feet tall?” “Actually, he’s only fifty-nine feet tall, but he likes to exaggerate,” said Magnus. Isabelle clicked her tongue in annoyance. “Valentine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/raziel-s-sixty-feet-tall-actually-he-s-only-fifty-nine-feet-tall-but/)

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

> [“I like long walks, especialy when they are taken by people who annoy me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/i-like-long-walks-especialy-when-they-are-taken-by-people-who-annoy-me/)

[Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/)

> [If we could make up our minds to spare our friends all details of ill health, of money losses, of domestic annoyances, of altercations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/if-we-could-make-up-our-minds-to-spare-our-friends-all-details-of-ill/)

[Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/)

[Browse all 160 Annoyance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/annoyance/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Killing your rival doesn’t guarantee happiness. Sometimes it ruins any chance you have of it instead. Memories of dead men hold far more power than the annoyances of living ones.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jeaniene Frost"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/killing-your-rival-doesn-t-guarantee-happiness-sometimes-it-ruins-any/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Annoyance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/killing-your-rival-doesn-t-guarantee-happiness-sometimes-it-ruins-any/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/jeaniene-frost-335_annoyance_killing-your-rival-doesn-t-guarantee-hap_1690723.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/jeaniene-frost-335_annoyance_killing-your-rival-doesn-t-guarantee-hap_1690723.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/jeaniene-frost-335_annoyance_killing-your-rival-doesn-t-guarantee-hap_1690723.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Killing your rival doesn’t guarantee happiness. Sometimes it ruins any chance you have of it instead…” — Jeaniene Frost",
                "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": "Jeaniene Frost",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Killing your rival doesn’t guarantee happiness....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/killing-your-rival-doesn-t-guarantee-happiness-sometimes-it-ruins-any/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/killing-your-rival-doesn-t-guarantee-happiness-sometimes-it-ruins-any/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
