--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But you can always justify killing…" description: "\"“But you can always justify killing animals on the grounds that you want to eat them, or wear them, or that they smell bad, look funny, bother you, thr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/mohsin-hamid-798_bad-luck_but-you-can-always-justify-killing-anima_916498.jpg" --- # But you can always justify killing animals on the grounds… ![“But you can always justify killing animals on the grounds that you want to eat them, or wear them, or that they smell bad, look funny, bother you, threaten you, and have the bad luck of being in your way. What about killing humans? Well aside from a few die-hard individualists on the fringe, the…” quote by Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/mohsin-hamid-798_bad-luck_but-you-can-always-justify-killing-anima_916498.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/mohsin-hamid-798_bad-luck_but-you-can-always-justify-killing-anima_916498.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/mohsin-hamid-798_bad-luck_but-you-can-always-justify-killing-anima_916498.jpg) > ““But you can always justify killing animals on the grounds that you want to eat them, or wear them, or that they smell bad, look funny, bother you, threaten you, and have the bad luck of being in your way. What about killing humans? Well aside from a few die-hard individualists on the fringe, the general consensus among people these days seems to be that eating and wearing other people is just not on. Wearing a suit which costs as much as a farmer will make in his lifetime is acceptable, but actually putting his eyeballs on a string and letting them dangle above tastefully exposed cleavage is bad form.”” [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People rationalize harming animals for consumption, yet find the idea of harming humans abhorrent, highlighting moral inconsistency. **In simple terms:** We excuse animal harm but not human harm. Key Takeaway Question our moral double standards. Themes ethics animal rights humanity Mood reflective provocative Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - dietary choices - fashion industry - legislation - personal behavior Key Concepts moral philosophy cognitive dissonance Questions to Reflect On - What justifies the difference in treatment? - Can we extend compassion consistently? A Different Perspective Cultural norms may shift, making current standards fragile. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Bad luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-luck/) [Eating Wearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating-wearing-1383690/) [Justify Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justify-killing-1383689/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Killing animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-animals/) [Killing Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-humans-1227544/) [People These Days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-these-days/) [Wearing a suit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wearing-a-suit/) ## Related quotes > [Besides, killing all the humans will totally trash the cable schedule, and there are some shows I'm really excited to have back on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/besides-killing-all-the-humans-will-totally-trash-the-cable-schedule/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [“You guys win this time! 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I think a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/i-remember-looking-back-on-a-photo-of-me-wearing-a-suit-that-was-like/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) ## More by Mohsin Hamid > [Pakistan now is like a horror film franchise. You know, it's 'Friday the 13th, Episode 63: The Terrorist from Pakistan.' And each time we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/pakistan-now-is-like-a-horror-film-franchise-you-know-it-s-friday-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [A beard is something that is almost like a mirror to the viewer. 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