--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is a predator: you have to eat it…" description: "\"Life is a predator: you have to eat it before it eats you.\" — Joan Collins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/joan-collins-3164_life_life-is-a-predator-you-have-to-eat-it-be_2086378.jpg" --- # Life is a predator: you have to eat it before it eats you. ![“Life is a predator: you have to eat it before it eats you.” quote by Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/joan-collins-3164_life_life-is-a-predator-you-have-to-eat-it-be_2086378.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/joan-collins-3164_life_life-is-a-predator-you-have-to-eat-it-be_2086378.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/joan-collins-3164_life_life-is-a-predator-you-have-to-eat-it-be_2086378.jpg) > “Life is a predator: you have to eat it before it eats you.” [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life demands aggressive action; you must confront challenges before they overwhelm you. **In simple terms:** Act before problems consume you. Key Takeaway Take decisive action early. Themes survival agency conflict Mood urgent determined Type motivational cautionary When to use this quote - career crises - health emergencies - financial threats Key Concepts predator metaphor proactive stance Questions to Reflect On - What challenges are you avoiding? - How can early action change outcomes? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Predator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predator/) ## Related quotes > [“In life you can either be the predator or the prey and I would much rather be the predator.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenna-maynard/in-life-you-can-either-be-the-predator-or-the-prey-and-i-would-much/) [Glenna Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenna-maynard/) > [“The field mice spent their days scampering through the tall grasses and collecting fairyberries and beanstalk seeds. The stable mice helped themselves to oats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-selfors/the-field-mice-spent-their-days-scampering-through-the-tall-grasses/) [Suzanne Selfors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-selfors/) > [Salad? Thats what my food eats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/salad-thats-what-my-food-eats/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Somedays you eat the bear, somedays the bear eats you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-t/somedays-you-eat-the-bear-somedays-the-bear-eats-you/) [Mr. T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-t/) > [“What goes up must come down, unless a dragon eats it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-rathbone/what-goes-up-must-come-down-unless-a-dragon-eats-it/) [Brian Rathbone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-rathbone/) > [Never buy anything that eats while you sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/never-buy-anything-that-eats-while-you-sleep/) [William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/) > [Envy eats nothing but its own heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/german-proverb/envy-eats-nothing-but-its-own-heart/) German Proverb > [Life eats life to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/life-eats-life-to-live/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [A geek by definition is somebody who eats live animals. I?ve never eaten live animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-glover/a-geek-by-definition-is-somebody-who-eats-live-animals-i-ve-never/) [Crispin Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-glover/) > [“What kind of man eats your fish when you won't sleep with him?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-rowe/what-kind-of-man-eats-your-fish-when-you-won-t-sleep-with-him/) [Stephanie Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-rowe/) > [Captain Shotover: How much does your soul eat? Ellie: Oh, a lot. It eats music and pictures and books and mountains and lakes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/captain-shotover-how-much-does-your-soul-eat-ellie-oh-a-lot-it-eats/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I watch what I eat every day. I mean, who actually eats with their eyes closed?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-watch-what-i-eat-every-day-i-mean-who-actually-eats-with-their-eyes/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [This yoga is not possible, for the one who eats too much, or who does not eat at all; who sleeps too much, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagavad-gita/this-yoga-is-not-possible-for-the-one-who-eats-too-much-or-who-does/) [Bhagavad Gita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagavad-gita/) > [I'm not one of those regimental people who never eats certain things - that's not life. You've got to live; you've got to eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alesha-dixon/i-m-not-one-of-those-regimental-people-who-never-eats-certain-things/) [Alesha Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alesha-dixon/) > [Jay Leno is not a guy who likes change. He eats the same food every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-allen/jay-leno-is-not-a-guy-who-likes-change-he-eats-the-same-food-every-day/) [Ted Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-allen/) ## More by Joan Collins > [Of course it does on opening night, but I've never had that devastating stage fright that some people get, but apparently, you can develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/of-course-it-does-on-opening-night-but-i-ve-never-had-that/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [Hair, in fact, is probably the bane of most women's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/hair-in-fact-is-probably-the-bane-of-most-women-s-lives/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [There's something about the air and the sky and the atmosphere in the South of France that must be very conducive to work, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/there-s-something-about-the-air-and-the-sky-and-the-atmosphere-in-the/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [I don't look my age, I don't feel my age and I don't act my age. To me age is just a number.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/i-don-t-look-my-age-i-don-t-feel-my-age-and-i-don-t-act-my-age-to-me/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [When I was at school, I was terrible at algebra and arithmetic, but I was always the best at English and literature. And acting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/when-i-was-at-school-i-was-terrible-at-algebra-and-arithmetic-but-i/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [Having had five husbands, I guess I should know a thing or two about marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/having-had-five-husbands-i-guess-i-should-know-a-thing-or-two-about/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [According to my sister Jackie, most men stray. And sex doesn't mean anything to most men. But I wouldn't date a man who slept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/according-to-my-sister-jackie-most-men-stray-and-sex-doesn-t-mean/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [I think, Larry, one of the things is I'm a very active person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/i-think-larry-one-of-the-things-is-i-m-a-very-active-person/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [I used to go over to Gene Kelly's house and play volleyball, and Paul Newman and Marlon Brando were always there. You kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/i-used-to-go-over-to-gene-kelly-s-house-and-play-volleyball-and-paul/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [Doing 20 minutes of stretching, light weights and floor exercises three times a week takes the same amount of time as a long coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/doing-20-minutes-of-stretching-light-weights-and-floor-exercises/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [I don't know why people are so obsessed with age anyway. I mean, 90 is the new 70 70 is the new 50 and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/i-don-t-know-why-people-are-so-obsessed-with-age-anyway-i-mean-90-is/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [The body is like a car: the older you become the more care you have to take care of it - and you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/the-body-is-like-a-car-the-older-you-become-the-more-care-you-have-to/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [And we have not found any generational gap at all. If he wants to go a football game, he goes. If I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/and-we-have-not-found-any-generational-gap-at-all-if-he-wants-to-go-a/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [When I was 49, I posed for Playboy - I was very flattered to be asked. I was quite honoured, really, considering that most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/when-i-was-49-i-posed-for-playboy-i-was-very-flattered-to-be-asked-i/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [I say, 'Use it or lose it.' I have my own fitness regime, which is centred around stretching, free-weights and fast walking. I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/i-say-use-it-or-lose-it-i-have-my-own-fitness-regime-which-is-centred/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) [Explore all 138 Joan Collins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) ## More Eats quotes > [Jay Leno is not a guy who likes change. He eats the same food every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-allen/jay-leno-is-not-a-guy-who-likes-change-he-eats-the-same-food-every-day/) [Ted Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-allen/) > [I'm not one of those regimental people who never eats certain things - that's not life. You've got to live; you've got to eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alesha-dixon/i-m-not-one-of-those-regimental-people-who-never-eats-certain-things/) [Alesha Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alesha-dixon/) > [This yoga is not possible, for the one who eats too much, or who does not eat at all; who sleeps too much, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagavad-gita/this-yoga-is-not-possible-for-the-one-who-eats-too-much-or-who-does/) [Bhagavad Gita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagavad-gita/) > [I watch what I eat every day. I mean, who actually eats with their eyes closed?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-watch-what-i-eat-every-day-i-mean-who-actually-eats-with-their-eyes/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [Captain Shotover: How much does your soul eat? Ellie: Oh, a lot. It eats music and pictures and books and mountains and lakes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/captain-shotover-how-much-does-your-soul-eat-ellie-oh-a-lot-it-eats/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“What kind of man eats your fish when you won't sleep with him?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-rowe/what-kind-of-man-eats-your-fish-when-you-won-t-sleep-with-him/) [Stephanie Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-rowe/) > [A geek by definition is somebody who eats live animals. I?ve never eaten live animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-glover/a-geek-by-definition-is-somebody-who-eats-live-animals-i-ve-never/) [Crispin Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-glover/) > [Life eats life to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/life-eats-life-to-live/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [Envy eats nothing but its own heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/german-proverb/envy-eats-nothing-but-its-own-heart/) German Proverb > [Never buy anything that eats while you sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/never-buy-anything-that-eats-while-you-sleep/) [William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/) > [“What goes up must come down, unless a dragon eats it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-rathbone/what-goes-up-must-come-down-unless-a-dragon-eats-it/) [Brian Rathbone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-rathbone/) > [Somedays you eat the bear, somedays the bear eats you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-t/somedays-you-eat-the-bear-somedays-the-bear-eats-you/) [Mr. T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-t/) > [Salad? Thats what my food eats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/salad-thats-what-my-food-eats/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“The field mice spent their days scampering through the tall grasses and collecting fairyberries and beanstalk seeds. The stable mice helped themselves to oats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-selfors/the-field-mice-spent-their-days-scampering-through-the-tall-grasses/) [Suzanne Selfors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-selfors/) > [“Only one bear eats from this honey pot, Tatia”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paullina-simons/only-one-bear-eats-from-this-honey-pot-tatia/) [Paullina Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paullina-simons/) Browse all 125 Eats quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Life is a predator: you have to eat it before it eats you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Collins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/life-is-a-predator-you-have-to-eat-it-before-it-eats-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Eats" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/life-is-a-predator-you-have-to-eat-it-before-it-eats-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/joan-collins-3164_life_life-is-a-predator-you-have-to-eat-it-be_2086378.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/joan-collins-3164_life_life-is-a-predator-you-have-to-eat-it-be_2086378.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/joan-collins-3164_life_life-is-a-predator-you-have-to-eat-it-be_2086378.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Life is a predator: you have to eat it before it eats you.” — Joan Collins", "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": "Joan Collins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Life is a predator: you have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/life-is-a-predator-you-have-to-eat-it-before-it-eats-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/life-is-a-predator-you-have-to-eat-it-before-it-eats-you/#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 } } ] } ```