--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes you have to destroy things…" description: "\"“Sometimes you have to destroy things, even people, in order to save them. (7)”\" — Laura Lippman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/laura-lippman-7439_quote_sometimes-you-have-to-destroy-things-eve_1673476.jpg" --- # Sometimes you have to destroy things, even people, in… ![“Sometimes you have to destroy things, even people, in order to save them. (7)” quote by Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/laura-lippman-7439_quote_sometimes-you-have-to-destroy-things-eve_1673476.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/laura-lippman-7439_quote_sometimes-you-have-to-destroy-things-eve_1673476.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/laura-lippman-7439_quote_sometimes-you-have-to-destroy-things-eve_1673476.jpg) > ““Sometimes you have to destroy things, even people, in order to save them. (7)”” [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sometimes destructive actions, even harming people, are necessary to protect or save them in the larger scheme. **In simple terms:** Destruction can be a means to save. Key Takeaway Consider consequences before acting. Themes ethics sacrifice protection Mood ethical analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - conflict resolution - leadership decisions - personal relationships - crisis management Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - When is it justified to hurt to help? - What alternatives exist? A Different Perspective Moral dilemmas make this view controversial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Destroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy/) [Destroy Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy-things-358364/) [Save](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/save/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-people/) ## Related quotes > [“Oddly enough, we can destroy the very things that allowed us to pursue our agendas in the first place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/oddly-enough-we-can-destroy-the-very-things-that-allowed-us-to-pursue/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [why human beings despise what is beautiful and good, and seek to destroy the things they need the most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/why-human-beings-despise-what-is-beautiful-and-good-and-seek-to/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [I can't destroy things so beautiful." "Time will destroy them if you don't. Time destroys everything. But if you destroy them, it will mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/i-can-t-destroy-things-so-beautiful-time-will-destroy-them-if-you-don/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [Human beings have a need, generally, to destroy things. The Freudian principle of civilisation is correct. There's always, always a difference between the family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/human-beings-have-a-need-generally-to-destroy-things-the-freudian/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [I drive a Nissan Versa and would never spend real money on a car because I destroy things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-ratajkowski/i-drive-a-nissan-versa-and-would-never-spend-real-money-on-a-car/) [Emily Ratajkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-ratajkowski/) > [I destroy things every day in the act of working and often recall a picture I had considered finished in order to rework it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-auerbach/i-destroy-things-every-day-in-the-act-of-working-and-often-recall-a/) [Frank Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-auerbach/) > [“What is wrong with me? Why do I destroy the things I love?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/staci-hart/what-is-wrong-with-me-why-do-i-destroy-the-things-i-love/) [Staci Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/staci-hart/) > [We destroy things with our curiosity. We shatter with our best intentions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/we-destroy-things-with-our-curiosity-we-shatter-with-our-best/) [Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/) > [I like the idea of something greater than us. We destroy things with our curiosity. We shatter with our best intentions. We are no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/i-like-the-idea-of-something-greater-than-us-we-destroy-things-with/) [Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/) > [“Whatever you tell; lie or truth, can both destroy or save you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/whatever-you-tell-lie-or-truth-can-both-destroy-or-save-you/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [You cannot save everyone. Some people are going to destroy themselves no matter how much you try to help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cannot-save-everyone-some-people-are-going-to-destroy-themselves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't think the world will destroy itself in a nuclear cataclysm. On the contrary, we have the capacity to save ourselves and save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-don-t-think-the-world-will-destroy-itself-in-a-nuclear-cataclysm-on/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“What if he can't save me? What if trying destroys us both?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-fortunato/what-if-he-can-t-save-me-what-if-trying-destroys-us-both/) [Jessica Fortunato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-fortunato/) > [If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-bring-forth-what-is-within-you-what-you-bring-forth-will-save/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lot of actors get the leading role after doing a bunch of smaller things and people get to know them. I came out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-luss/a-lot-of-actors-get-the-leading-role-after-doing-a-bunch-of-smaller/) [Sasha Luss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-luss/) ## More by Laura Lippman > [“Relationships are chess for women," he said. "They can see the whole board, plan way ahead. They're the queens, after all. We're the kings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/relationships-are-chess-for-women-he-said-they-can-see-the-whole/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [People still struggle with this notion of gifted writers somehow being in touch with a higher power, but it's all about showing up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/people-still-struggle-with-this-notion-of-gifted-writers-somehow/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [Every person you meet has a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/every-person-you-meet-has-a-story/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [If I waited to be inspired to go to the gym, I'd never get there. I schedule my exercise time; I schedule my work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/if-i-waited-to-be-inspired-to-go-to-the-gym-i-d-never-get-there-i/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [“I hate to think how many minutes of my life I've spent on goddamn hold. I want those minutes back. When death comes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/i-hate-to-think-how-many-minutes-of-my-life-i-ve-spent-on-goddamn/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [I've long believed that the work-out life has lessons for the writing life. I've 'solved' a lot of books while at the gym, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/i-ve-long-believed-that-the-work-out-life-has-lessons-for-the-writing/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [...Baltimore. It's imperfect. Boy, is it imperfect. And there are parts of its past that make you wince. 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The phrases that people used to make things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/there-it-was-again-another-strange-usage-we-had-words-everyone-has/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [I don't know where my phone is half the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/i-don-t-know-where-my-phone-is-half-the-time/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) [Explore all 91 Laura Lippman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) ## More Destroy quotes > [“That would be just like me-ruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/that-would-be-just-like-me-ruin-everything-destroy-the-world-in-a/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [We shall fight against them, throw them in prisons and destroy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/we-shall-fight-against-them-throw-them-in-prisons-and-destroy-them/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Destroy gossip by ignoring it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/destroy-gossip-by-ignoring-it/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [When I became successful, I put up a caution. I didn't think it was fair to have the shadow of that kind of success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/when-i-became-successful-i-put-up-a-caution-i-didn-t-think-it-was/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [“Put that thing down, girl. Don't you know it steals part of your soul, that little mechanical masterpiece you hold so frivolously? Don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/put-that-thing-down-girl-don-t-you-know-it-steals-part-of-your-soul/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [In a democracy, the one thing that cannot be done is to destroy its trust, its hope, its idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-heinz/in-a-democracy-the-one-thing-that-cannot-be-done-is-to-destroy-its/) [Teresa Heinz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-heinz/) > [Just a reminder, if you tell anyone about what happened with Jonah last night, I'll destroy all of my writing and never play music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/just-a-reminder-if-you-tell-anyone-about-what-happened-with-jonah/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [We will not waste 30 years of our lives dealing with extremist ideas; we will destroy them today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-bin-salman/we-will-not-waste-30-years-of-our-lives-dealing-with-extremist-ideas/) [Mohammad bin Salman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-bin-salman/) > [We will defend ourselves, and we have full rights to do so. 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