--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have never killed anyone, fictional or…" description: "\"“I have never killed anyone, fictional or otherwise. I have no idea what it’s like to kill someone, but it seems like it would be horrible. One of my b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/john-green-12_death_i-have-never-killed-anyone-fictional-or_1670852.jpg" --- # I have never killed anyone, fictional or otherwise. I have… ![“I have never killed anyone, fictional or otherwise. I have no idea what it’s like to kill someone, but it seems like it would be horrible. One of my biggest goals in life is to get through it without knowing anything of what it’s like to kill another human being. People die. That’s true in novels…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/john-green-12_death_i-have-never-killed-anyone-fictional-or_1670852.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/john-green-12_death_i-have-never-killed-anyone-fictional-or_1670852.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/john-green-12_death_i-have-never-killed-anyone-fictional-or_1670852.jpg) > ““I have never killed anyone, fictional or otherwise. I have no idea what it’s like to kill someone, but it seems like it would be horrible. One of my biggest goals in life is to get through it without knowing anything of what it’s like to kill another human being. People die. That’s true in novels, and it’s true in life. Dying is one of the very few things we all do. To deny or ignore the omnipresent reality of death seems to me a disservice to human beings. That said, acknowledging in my novels that death exists does not make me a murderer any more than acknowledging that cancer can be treated makes me an oncologist.”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author argues that acknowledging death in fiction is not equivalent to endorsing it, and that confronting mortality is essential to humanity. **In simple terms:** Talking about death isn’t the same as killing. Key Takeaway Accept death as part of life, not a personal threat. Themes mortality humanity responsibility Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - novel writing - teaching - personal reflection Key Concepts ethical honesty literary realism Questions to Reflect On - What role does death play in your own story? - How can we discuss mortality without fear? A Different Perspective Denial of death can lead to shallow narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Goals In Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals-in-life-2/) [John-green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-green/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-dying/) [Reality of death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-of-death/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [What I love about the sculpture is that it makes the bones that we are always walking and playing on manifest, like in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/what-i-love-about-the-sculpture-is-that-it-makes-the-bones-that-we/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [The guy's life drunk, I think, makes Candide look like a sourpuss. Does he even know that death exists?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/the-guy-s-life-drunk-i-think-makes-candide-look-like-a-sourpuss-does/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [“As long as death exists, man will continue to exist only as a shadow, not a real thing!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/as-long-as-death-exists-man-will-continue-to-exist-only-as-a-shadow/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Why, Creator must it all reach man through the lie of Knowledge as long as it is not given so that man knows it?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorin-cerin/why-creator-must-it-all-reach-man-through-the-lie-of-knowledge-as/) [Sorin Cerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorin-cerin/) > [“Death is nothing to us. When we exist, death is not; and when death exists, we are not. All sensation and consciousness ends with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/death-is-nothing-to-us-when-we-exist-death-is-not-and-when-death/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [“ Death exists, not as the opposite but as a part of life. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/death-exists-not-as-the-opposite-but-as-a-part-of-life/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [It is both theoretically and practically very impossible to have a happy ending in life as long as death exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/it-is-both-theoretically-and-practically-very-impossible-to-have-a/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“It seemed to work at first. I tried hard to forget, but there remained inside me a vague knot-of-air kind of thing. And as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/it-seemed-to-work-at-first-i-tried-hard-to-forget-but-there-remained/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [A being afire with life cannot foresee death; in fact, by each of his deeds he denies that death exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-yourcenar/a-being-afire-with-life-cannot-foresee-death-in-fact-by-each-of-his/) [Marguerite Yourcenar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-yourcenar/) > [“I tried hard to forget, but there remained inside me a vague knot of air. And as time went by, the knot began to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-tried-hard-to-forget-but-there-remained-inside-me-a-vague-knot-of/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Death exists—in a paperweight, in four red and white balls on a pool table—and we go on living and breathing it into our lungs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-exists-in-a-paperweight-in-four-red-and-white-balls-on-a-pool/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As long as death exists, men will continue to exist only as a shadow, not a real thing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/as-long-as-death-exists-men-will-continue-to-exist-only-as-a-shadow/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [What does interest me is how difficult my culture seems to find it to look the dark side of life directly in the eye.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kingsnorth/what-does-interest-me-is-how-difficult-my-culture-seems-to-find-it-to/) [Paul Kingsnorth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kingsnorth/) > [“Only those who embrace the reality of death will receive the new life. Implicit in his statement is that those who do not mourn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/only-those-who-embrace-the-reality-of-death-will-receive-the-new-life/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [For the world is founded and built up on death, and the reality of death is neither to be questioned nor feared. Death is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-webb/for-the-world-is-founded-and-built-up-on-death-and-the-reality-of/) [Mary Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-webb/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I have never killed anyone, fictional or otherwise. I have no idea what it’s like to kill someone, but it seems like it would be horrible. One of my biggest goals in life is to get through it without knowing anything of what it’s like to kill another human being. People die. 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