--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can’t kill him and he can’t keep me…" description: "\"“I can’t kill him and he can’t keep me alive. The world we’ve lived in together is an illusion that can’t be maintained. The edges are fraying, curling..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/kitty-thomas-15924_harsh-reality_i-can-t-kill-him-and-he-can-t-keep-me-al_1087642.jpg" --- # I can’t kill him and he can’t keep me alive. The world… ![“I can’t kill him and he can’t keep me alive. The world we’ve lived in together is an illusion that can’t be maintained. The edges are fraying, curling away to reveal the harsh reality beneath. The lion and the lamb do not lie down together. It just can’t be.” quote by Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/kitty-thomas-15924_harsh-reality_i-can-t-kill-him-and-he-can-t-keep-me-al_1087642.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/kitty-thomas-15924_harsh-reality_i-can-t-kill-him-and-he-can-t-keep-me-al_1087642.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/kitty-thomas-15924_harsh-reality_i-can-t-kill-him-and-he-can-t-keep-me-al_1087642.jpg) > ““I can’t kill him and he can’t keep me alive. The world we’ve lived in together is an illusion that can’t be maintained. The edges are fraying, curling away to reveal the harsh reality beneath. The lion and the lamb do not lie down together. It just can’t be.”” [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The fragile illusion of coexistence collapses under harsh reality; opposing forces cannot peacefully coexist. **In simple terms:** Coexistence is an illusion. Key Takeaway Recognize inevitable conflicts. Themes conflict realism duality Mood somber cautious Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - political negotiations - environmental policy - personal relationships Key Concepts philosophy social theory Questions to Reflect On - What can be done to bridge opposing sides? - How do you handle inevitable tensions? A Different Perspective Cooperation may still be possible with effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Harsh reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harsh-reality/) [Lion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lion/) ## Related quotes > [It is all right for the lion and the lamb to lie down together if they are both asleep, but if one of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-eastman/it-is-all-right-for-the-lion-and-the-lamb-to-lie-down-together-if/) [Crystal Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-eastman/) > [The lion and the lamb may, possibly, sumtime lay down in this world together for a fu minnits, but when the lion kums tew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/the-lion-and-the-lamb-may-possibly-sumtime-lay-down-in-this-world/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [“The lion-sheep splice was commissioned by the Lion Isaiahists in order to force the advent of the Peaceable Kingdom. They’d reasoned that the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-lion-sheep-splice-was-commissioned-by-the-lion-isaiahists-in/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“It is constantly assured, especially in our Tolstoyan tendencies, that when the lion lies down with the lamb the lion becomes lamb-like. But that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/it-is-constantly-assured-especially-in-our-tolstoyan-tendencies-that/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“When your blood decides the fate of kings, better to die a lion than a lamb.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabetta-l-faenza/when-your-blood-decides-the-fate-of-kings-better-to-die-a-lion-than-a/) Elisabetta L. Faenza > [Do I believe in arbitration? I do. But not in arbitration between the lion and the lamb, in which the lamb is in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/do-i-believe-in-arbitration-i-do-but-not-in-arbitration-between-the/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [Now that he has changed the weather, Lion and lamb can vote together. God bless the Russian delegation, I waive consecutive translation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-caradon/now-that-he-has-changed-the-weather-lion-and-lamb-can-vote-together/) Lord Caradon > [“but in Heaven we will have total peace We will be completely changed when we get to Heaven—and so, too, will those we couldn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/but-in-heaven-we-will-have-total-peace-we-will-be-completely-changed/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“Man wills to make of earth, not one Jerusalem but two; this sacramental blood de- clears the double mind by which he wills to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-farrar-capon/man-wills-to-make-of-earth-not-one-jerusalem-but-two-this-sacramental/) [Robert Farrar Capon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-farrar-capon/) > [And so the lion falls in love with the lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-cullen/and-so-the-lion-falls-in-love-with-the-lamb/) [Edward Cullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-cullen/) > [“A lamb among wolves!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/a-lamb-among-wolves/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Someday the lion is going to lie down with the lamb, but the lamb isn't going to get much sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/someday-the-lion-is-going-to-lie-down-with-the-lamb-but-the-lamb-isn/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [“The wolves wait for you, little lamb.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keri-lake/the-wolves-wait-for-you-little-lamb/) [Keri Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keri-lake/) > [A lamb in a city of wolves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/a-lamb-in-a-city-of-wolves/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [So The Lion Fell In Love With The Lamb... What A Stupid Lamb. What A Sick, Masochistic Lion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-the-lion-fell-in-love-with-the-lamb-what-a-stupid-lamb-what-a-sick/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Kitty Thomas > [“Love burns past logic and all rational time lines to consume everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/love-burns-past-logic-and-all-rational-time-lines-to-consume/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“Your indignant behavior over the slightest perceived gender inequality makes it almost certain that inequality is what you masturbate to at night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/your-indignant-behavior-over-the-slightest-perceived-gender/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“I thought I knew madness, but I didn’t know it before you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/i-thought-i-knew-madness-but-i-didn-t-know-it-before-you/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“When you became everything and everything became you, what was there to dispute? Everything just was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/when-you-became-everything-and-everything-became-you-what-was-there/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“I wonder if he’d die if I did because I know the opposite is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/i-wonder-if-he-d-die-if-i-did-because-i-know-the-opposite-is-true/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“I wish I could hold the play (Romeo and Juliet) in my hands right now. I want to read it. I want to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/i-wish-i-could-hold-the-play-romeo-and-juliet-in-my-hands-right-now-i/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“He'd gone from being just my tormentor to being my tormentor and protector, though I needed protection from nothing but him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/he-d-gone-from-being-just-my-tormentor-to-being-my-tormentor-and/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“He is the cornerstone of a defining life moment for me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/he-is-the-cornerstone-of-a-defining-life-moment-for-me/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“I can’t hate him. All I feel is sympathy for the devil who has crawled inside my heart, stealing my soul and my will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/i-can-t-hate-him-all-i-feel-is-sympathy-for-the-devil-who-has-crawled/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“If you haven't developed morals by the time you start reading erotica, it's probably too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/if-you-haven-t-developed-morals-by-the-time-you-start-reading-erotica/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“It’s a cruel joke of the universe that the one person who makes me come alive is himself dead. And evil. His very existence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/it-s-a-cruel-joke-of-the-universe-that-the-one-person-who-makes-me/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“She thought she was wrong? He was the one who got a hard-on every time she looked up at him with those desperate, brown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/she-thought-she-was-wrong-he-was-the-one-who-got-a-hard-on-every-time/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“Blackmail. It was the socially-approved equivalent of blow me, and I'll get you some of the good stuff .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/blackmail-it-was-the-socially-approved-equivalent-of-blow-me-and-i-ll/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“When you really thought about it crying was a rather bizarre thing for any creature to be capable of. What purpose did it serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/when-you-really-thought-about-it-crying-was-a-rather-bizarre-thing/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [“I'd convinced myself it would have been different if he'd been as ugly on the outside as he was on the inside, but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/i-d-convinced-myself-it-would-have-been-different-if-he-d-been-as/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) [Explore all 41 Kitty Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) ## More Harsh reality quotes > [A lot of independent films offer a harsh reality check.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/a-lot-of-independent-films-offer-a-harsh-reality-check/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [---- You must be prepared to face the worst possible scenarios because harsh reality strikes without warning! \*\* GoodMorning prends! :))](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkn0wn/you-must-be-prepared-to-face-the-worst-possible-scenarios-because/) [Unkn0wn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkn0wn/) > [Willy DeVille knows the truth of a city street and the courage in a ghetto love song. And the harsh reality in his voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-pomus/willy-deville-knows-the-truth-of-a-city-street-and-the-courage-in-a/) Doc Pomus > [It is not heroin or cocaine that makes one an addict, it is the need to escape from a harsh reality. There are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/it-is-not-heroin-or-cocaine-that-makes-one-an-addict-it-is-the-need/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [There is a harsh reality glaring at me. If I ignore it will it cease to be?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-a-harsh-reality-glaring-at-me-if-i-ignore-it-will-it-cease/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's a harsh reality to situations where demand outstrips supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kalanick/there-s-a-harsh-reality-to-situations-where-demand-outstrips-supply/) [Travis Kalanick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kalanick/) > [“The boys lived in their own simple, carefree world, unconcerned with hygiene and unaware of the theory of evolution. Yet ruthless natural selection—further intensified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-boys-lived-in-their-own-simple-carefree-world-unconcerned-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A harsh reality of newspaper editing is that the deadlines don't allow for the polish that you expect in books or even magazines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walsh/a-harsh-reality-of-newspaper-editing-is-that-the-deadlines-don-t/) [Bill Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walsh/) > [“Hope doesn't announce that life is safe, therefore, we will be; instead, it whispers that Christ is our safety in the midst of harsh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patsy-clairmont/hope-doesn-t-announce-that-life-is-safe-therefore-we-will-be-instead/) [Patsy Clairmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patsy-clairmont/) > [Life being full of harsh realities, we seek relief from them in a variety of pleasing delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/life-being-full-of-harsh-realities-we-seek-relief-from-them-in-a/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [It may be that a second wave of the sexual revolution might at last accomplish its aim of freeing half the race from its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/it-may-be-that-a-second-wave-of-the-sexual-revolution-might-at-last/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [“Why should you buy the cow, if you can get the milk for free?” Answer: There is no reason, no incentive, no need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-marsh-warren/why-should-you-buy-the-cow-if-you-can-get-the-milk-for-free-answer/) Lindsay Marsh Warren > [There are those who believe that a new modernity demands a new morality. What they fail to consider is the harsh reality that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-are-those-who-believe-that-a-new-modernity-demands-a-new/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [As they are obsessed by the Reel Life which is like a fairy tale…and compare the harsh reality of their life...and fail to admit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santanu-mishra/as-they-are-obsessed-by-the-reel-life-which-is-like-a-fairy-tale-and/) [Santanu Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santanu-mishra/) > [“I dispute the point that nuclear energy is 'clean' and 'cost-effective'. As I recall, when we first harnessed nuclear power it was to drop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/i-dispute-the-point-that-nuclear-energy-is-clean-and-cost-effective/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) [Browse all 89 Harsh reality quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harsh-reality/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I can’t kill him and he can’t keep me alive. The world we’ve lived in together is an illusion that can’t be maintained. The edges are fraying, curling away to reveal the harsh reality beneath. The lion and the lamb do not lie down together. 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