--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why do you eat your own heart? Because, O…" description: "\"“Why do you eat your own heart? Because, O King, it is bitter, and because it is my heart.”\" — Lilith Saintcrow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8b/lilith-saintcrow-3480_anger_why-do-you-eat-your-own-heart-because-o_3192635.png" --- # Why do you eat your own heart? Because, O King, it is… ![“Why do you eat your own heart? Because, O King, it is bitter, and because it is my heart.” quote by Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8b/lilith-saintcrow-3480_anger_why-do-you-eat-your-own-heart-because-o_3192635.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8b/lilith-saintcrow-3480_anger_why-do-you-eat-your-own-heart-because-o_3192635.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8b/lilith-saintcrow-3480_anger_why-do-you-eat-your-own-heart-because-o_3192635.png) > ““Why do you eat your own heart? Because, O King, it is bitter, and because it is my heart.”” [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character metaphorically consumes their own heart, indicating self‑destruction and bitterness tied to personal sacrifice. **In simple terms:** Eating one's own heart shows self‑harm and bitterness. Key Takeaway Recognize and avoid self‑destructive habits. Themes self‑destruction betrayal power sacrifice Mood dark intense poetic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - relationship breakdown - addiction recovery - personal crisis - ritual sacrifice Key Concepts metaphor inner conflict psychological torment Questions to Reflect On - What does “eating your own heart” symbolize for you? - How can you transform bitterness into growth? A Different Perspective The metaphor may romanticize pain, overlooking healthier coping. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ## Related quotes > [The nearest to my heart are a king without a kingdom and a poor man who does not know how to beg.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/the-nearest-to-my-heart-are-a-king-without-a-kingdom-and-a-poor-man/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [But I like it Because it is bitter, And because it is my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/but-i-like-it-because-it-is-bitter-and-because-it-is-my-heart/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [“Anger will eat at the most tender parts of your heart and make you hard-hearted, bitter, and jaded. A hard heart cannot feel the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-c-donaldson/anger-will-eat-at-the-most-tender-parts-of-your-heart-and-make-you/) [Julie C. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-c-donaldson/) > [I have learned that you're not perfect, and that sometimes the one you love can burn you. But it's just the fool that's looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-rector/i-have-learned-that-you-re-not-perfect-and-that-sometimes-the-one-you/) [Ben Rector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rector/) > [If you are bitter at heart, sugar in the mouth will not help you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-bitter-at-heart-sugar-in-the-mouth-will-not-help-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The bitter heart eats its owner...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bantu-proverbs/the-bitter-heart-eats-its-owner/) Bantu Proverbs > [How does God deal with your bitter heart? He reminds you that what you have is more important than what you don't have. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/how-does-god-deal-with-your-bitter-heart-he-reminds-you-that-what-you/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“A bitter heart is never thankful & a thankful heart is never bitter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-woodward/a-bitter-heart-is-never-thankful-a-thankful-heart-is-never-bitter/) [Orrin Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-woodward/) > [“Held his heart in his hands, And ate of it. I said: "Is it good, friend?" "It is bitter - bitter," he answered; "But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/held-his-heart-in-his-hands-and-ate-of-it-i-said-is-it-good-friend-it/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [The poet: would rather eat a heart than a hambone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roethke/the-poet-would-rather-eat-a-heart-than-a-hambone/) [Theodore Roethke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roethke/) > [“Here is how the harmful becomes profitable: That which yesterday was reviled today ends up in Urban Outfitters. The critic Rebecca Solnit has summarized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-kun/here-is-how-the-harmful-becomes-profitable-that-which-yesterday-was/) Josh Kun > [“Eat my heart Chew it hard Swallow my soul, too”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cormier/eat-my-heart-chew-it-hard-swallow-my-soul-too/) [Robert Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cormier/) > [“He felt as if someone had reached into his chest and cut off a tiny piece of his heart and made him eat it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/he-felt-as-if-someone-had-reached-into-his-chest-and-cut-off-a-tiny/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“I want to kill everybody in the world, I want to eat your heart...out”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-to-kill-everybody-in-the-world-i-want-to-eat-your-heart-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I eat my heart out alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/i-eat-my-heart-out-alone/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) ## More by Lilith Saintcrow > [“People don’t really want to know anything about you. They just want to put you into their little preordained slots. They decide what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/people-don-t-really-want-to-know-anything-about-you-they-just-want-to/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [Sometimes, as much as writing saves one’s own life, you cannot imagine how it will save another’s. This is another reason why it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/sometimes-as-much-as-writing-saves-one-s-own-life-you-cannot-imagine/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [Graves: It’s going to snow. Dru Anderson: Thanks for the warning. Graves: Hey, no problem. First one’s free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/graves-it-s-going-to-snow-dru-anderson-thanks-for-the-warning-graves/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [“Hearing wulfen howl is... well, it's horrible. The sound is glassy, hovering at the upper ranges of hearing, and it's full of paws on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/hearing-wulfen-howl-is-well-it-s-horrible-the-sound-is-glassy/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [Jesus, you've got a death wish." "Right now I have a bathroom-and-sleep-somewhere safe wish, kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/jesus-you-ve-got-a-death-wish-right-now-i-have-a-bathroom-and-sleep/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [He was the only boy I'd found worth dating in God knows how many schools. I mean, ever since he'd been bitten by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/he-was-the-only-boy-i-d-found-worth-dating-in-god-knows-how-many/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [Well, duh. You're cuter than she is." He said it like he might say, Grass is green or, Gravity works. Something warm opened up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/well-duh-you-re-cuter-than-she-is-he-said-it-like-he-might-say-grass/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [“I dislike the thought of damage to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/i-dislike-the-thought-of-damage-to-you/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [Zombies smell worse than anything you can imagine if you haven’t been hunting things on the dark side of the world. It’s a ripe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/zombies-smell-worse-than-anything-you-can-imagine-if-you-haven-t-been/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [Some days, a killing spree seems like a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/some-days-a-killing-spree-seems-like-a-good-idea/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [I looked like a ghost. And I should know. I’ve seen a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/i-looked-like-a-ghost-and-i-should-know-i-ve-seen-a-few/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [His smell—the scent of a demon, cinnamon incense, amber musk—wrapped around me, filled my lungs. I felt like I could breathe again, without every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/his-smell-the-scent-of-a-demon-cinnamon-incense-amber-musk-wrapped/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [The only one," he murmured. His chin dipped a little bit. "You know that, Dru? You're the only person who's ever believed in me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/the-only-one-he-murmured-his-chin-dipped-a-little-bit-you-know-that/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [“A hand closed around her arm, warm and hard, and it could possibly have been comforting if she had possessed the faintest idea whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/a-hand-closed-around-her-arm-warm-and-hard-and-it-could-possibly-have/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [I don't believe in getting clothes that just look pretty or that'll fall apart—they have to stand up to a lot of abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/i-don-t-believe-in-getting-clothes-that-just-look-pretty-or-that-ll/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) [Explore all 129 Lilith Saintcrow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) ## More Anger quotes > [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/) [Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [My care will be in the heart n not in words My anger will be in Words n not in the Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/my-care-will-be-in-the-heart-n-not-in-words-my-anger-will-be-in-words/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/the-present-contains-nothing-more-than-the-past-and-what-is-found-in/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [ “Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari \[living a worldly life\] regardless of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) [Browse all 7,469 Anger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Why do you eat your own heart? 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