--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Conflict is the very essence of life." description: "\"Conflict is the very essence of life.\" — Mary Roberts Rinehart" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/mary-roberts-rinehart-4636_conflict_conflict-is-the-very-essence-of-life-261_2613553.jpg" --- # Conflict is the very essence of life. ![“Conflict is the very essence of life.” quote by Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/mary-roberts-rinehart-4636_conflict_conflict-is-the-very-essence-of-life-261_2613553.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/mary-roberts-rinehart-4636_conflict_conflict-is-the-very-essence-of-life-261_2613553.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/mary-roberts-rinehart-4636_conflict_conflict-is-the-very-essence-of-life-261_2613553.jpg) > “Conflict is the very essence of life.” [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Conflict is inherent to life, driving change and growth, and is essential for narrative tension. **In simple terms:** Conflict drives life and stories. Key Takeaway Embrace conflict as a catalyst for development. Themes conflict life growth change narrative Mood thoughtful motivational serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - storytelling - personal development - team dynamics Key Concepts Literary theory philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can conflict be constructive? - When does conflict become harmful? A Different Perspective Conflict can be destructive if unmanaged. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence/) [Essence of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence-of-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“The essence of life is that it’s challenging. Sometimes it is sweet, and sometimes it is bitter. 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I don't want things just to be pat and formulaic. If there's some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-richardson/i-like-people-to-be-surprised-by-the-turn-of-events-i-don-t-want/) [Miranda Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-richardson/) > [“It is of the essence of life that it does not begin here or end there, or connect a point of origin with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ingold/it-is-of-the-essence-of-life-that-it-does-not-begin-here-or-end-there/) [Tim Ingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ingold/) > [“I learned (what I suppose I really knew already) that one can never go back, that one should not ever try to go back—that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-learned-what-i-suppose-i-really-knew-already-that-one-can-never-go/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [Love - this is the essence of life. But you will not give your life to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruslana-korshunova/love-this-is-the-essence-of-life-but-you-will-not-give-your-life-to/) [Ruslana Korshunova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruslana-korshunova/) > [Love is the very essence of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/love-is-the-very-essence-of-life/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [The essence of life consists in thinking, and being conscious of one's soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/the-essence-of-life-consists-in-thinking-and-being-conscious-of-one-s/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) > [Change is the essence of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/change-is-the-essence-of-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-adventure-of-life-is-to-learn-the-purpose-of-life-is-to-grow-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The essence of life is doing things for their own sakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-essence-of-life-is-doing-things-for-their-own-sakes/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## More by Mary Roberts Rinehart > [Every crucial experience can be regarded either as a setback, or the start of a wonderful new adventure, it depends on your perspective!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/every-crucial-experience-can-be-regarded-either-as-a-setback-or-the/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [pretense is the oil that lubricates society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/pretense-is-the-oil-that-lubricates-society/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [Men... look back on the children who were once themselves, and attempt to reconstruct them. But they can no longer think like the child...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/men-look-back-on-the-children-who-were-once-themselves-and-attempt-to/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [there comes a time when ambition ceases to burn, or romance to stir, and the highest cry of the human heart is for peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/there-comes-a-time-when-ambition-ceases-to-burn-or-romance-to-stir/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [To men and women who want to do things, there is nothing quite so driving as the force of an imprisoned ego. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/to-men-and-women-who-want-to-do-things-there-is-nothing-quite-so/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [The stage on which we play our little dramas of life and love has for most of us but one setting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/the-stage-on-which-we-play-our-little-dramas-of-life-and-love-has-for/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [ \[On fishing:\] Greatest rest in the world for the brain. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/on-fishing-greatest-rest-in-the-world-for-the-brain/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [I suppose there is something in all of us that harks back to the soil. When you come to think of it, what are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/i-suppose-there-is-something-in-all-of-us-that-harks-back-to-the-soil/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [“The old vicious cycle of empires threatened to repeat itself, the old story of the many led by the few. Always it had come,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/the-old-vicious-cycle-of-empires-threatened-to-repeat-itself-the-old/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [We are often miserable at our desk or typewriters, but not happy away from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/we-are-often-miserable-at-our-desk-or-typewriters-but-not-happy-away/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [Men love a joke - on the other fellow. But your really humorous woman loves a joke on herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/men-love-a-joke-on-the-other-fellow-but-your-really-humorous-woman/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [War is a thing of fearful and curious anomalies ... It has shown that government by men only is not an appeal to reason,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/war-is-a-thing-of-fearful-and-curious-anomalies-it-has-shown-that/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [the calm of a place like Bellwood is the peace of death without the hope of resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/the-calm-of-a-place-like-bellwood-is-the-peace-of-death-without-the/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [I never saw a lawyer yet who would admit he was making money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/i-never-saw-a-lawyer-yet-who-would-admit-he-was-making-money/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [“Oh, stop talking," I cried, in a hunted tone. "I can't bear it. If you are going to arrest me, get it over." "I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/oh-stop-talking-i-cried-in-a-hunted-tone-i-can-t-bear-it-if-you-are/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) [Explore all 108 Mary Roberts Rinehart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) ## More Conflict quotes > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [There is a conflict in the Middle East between two entities, and they're both right, each in their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/there-is-a-conflict-in-the-middle-east-between-two-entities-and-they/) [Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/) > [Conflict isn't negative, it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-crum/conflict-isn-t-negative-it-just-is/) [Thomas Crum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-crum/) > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) > [The irrepressible conflict propounded by abolitionism has produced now its legitimate fruits - disunion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-irrepressible-conflict-propounded-by-abolitionism-has-produced/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [“While there is battle and hatred men have eyes for nothing save the fact that the enemy is the cause of all the troubles;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-butterfield/while-there-is-battle-and-hatred-men-have-eyes-for-nothing-save-the/) [Herbert Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-butterfield/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [All men have an instinct for conflict: at least, all healthy men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/all-men-have-an-instinct-for-conflict-at-least-all-healthy-men/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [I didnt like the Survivor shows because of the mean-spirited aspect, and women certainly were part of whatever conflict they would create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-didnt-like-the-survivor-shows-because-of-the-mean-spirited-aspect/) [Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/) > [“How we traverse the space between us when conflict arises has a profound effect on the health and longevity of our relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/how-we-traverse-the-space-between-us-when-conflict-arises-has-a/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) [Browse all 3,969 Conflict quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Conflict is the very essence of life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Roberts Rinehart" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/conflict-is-the-very-essence-of-life/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conflict" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/conflict-is-the-very-essence-of-life/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/mary-roberts-rinehart-4636_conflict_conflict-is-the-very-essence-of-life-261_2613553.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/mary-roberts-rinehart-4636_conflict_conflict-is-the-very-essence-of-life-261_2613553.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/mary-roberts-rinehart-4636_conflict_conflict-is-the-very-essence-of-life-261_2613553.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Conflict is the very essence of life.” — Mary Roberts Rinehart", "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": "Mary Roberts Rinehart", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Conflict is the very essence of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/conflict-is-the-very-essence-of-life/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/conflict-is-the-very-essence-of-life/#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 } } ] } ```