--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can’t bite your nose off to spite…" description: "\"You can’t bite your nose off to spite your face.\" — Paul Merson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04c/paul-merson-9263_bite_you-can-t-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-yo_1678210.png" --- # You can’t bite your nose off to spite your face. ![“You can’t bite your nose off to spite your face.” quote by Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04c/paul-merson-9263_bite_you-can-t-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-yo_1678210.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04c/paul-merson-9263_bite_you-can-t-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-yo_1678210.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04c/paul-merson-9263_bite_you-can-t-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-yo_1678210.png) > “You can’t bite your nose off to spite your face.” [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. You cannot harm yourself by acting against your own interests; self‑sabotage is irrational. **In simple terms:** Don’t sabotage yourself. Key Takeaway Avoid self‑destructive actions. Themes self‑care logic personal responsibility Mood serious encouraging Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - making health decisions - financial planning - relationship choices - career moves Key Concepts Self‑sabotage rationality behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - Why do we sometimes act against our own interests? - What strategies prevent self‑sabotage? A Different Perspective People often act against their own best interests despite knowing better. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bite/) [Bite Nose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bite-nose-929963/) [Bites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bites/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Nose Spite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nose-spite-929961/) [Noses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noses/) [Spite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spite/) [Spite Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spite-face-929962/) [Your face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-face/) ## Related quotes > [You don't want to bite your nose off to spite your face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/you-don-t-want-to-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-your-face/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [More and more I feel like the boy who cut off his nose to spite his face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/more-and-more-i-feel-like-the-boy-who-cut-off-his-nose-to-spite-his/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“You're always cutting your nose off to spite your face. I've never met a woman as stubborn as you. Even when it's not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/you-re-always-cutting-your-nose-off-to-spite-your-face-i-ve-never-met/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [You're cutting off your nose to spite your face if you try to be self-consciously cutting-edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/you-re-cutting-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face-if-you-try-to-be-self/) [Harry Enfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enfield/) > [“He was in that humour when a man will cut off his nose to spite his face”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/he-was-in-that-humour-when-a-man-will-cut-off-his-nose-to-spite-his/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“I WILL BITE YOUR NOSE OFF!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/i-will-bite-your-nose-off/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“It is my cape of good hope, and if it isn't I will probably bite your nose off”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mervyn-peake/it-is-my-cape-of-good-hope-and-if-it-isn-t-i-will-probably-bite-your/) [Mervyn Peake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mervyn-peake/) > [“Jack prowled around the desk, eyeing the notebook. As if, any moment, it’d transform into a dragon and bite him on the nose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mina-khan/jack-prowled-around-the-desk-eyeing-the-notebook-as-if-any-moment-it/) [Mina Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mina-khan/) > [It is the man that has nothing to lose or is willing to lose everything to beat you that I am afraid of. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/it-is-the-man-that-has-nothing-to-lose-or-is-willing-to-lose/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [GO FOR HIS EYES! OR BITE HIM ON THE NOSE! DRAGON NOSES ARE VERY SENSITIVE!" Oh, very helpful, Camicazi, very helpful...thought Hiccup. What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/go-for-his-eyes-or-bite-him-on-the-nose-dragon-noses-are-very/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [I thought one only had to speak Latin through one's nose and bite off the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mary-yonge/i-thought-one-only-had-to-speak-latin-through-one-s-nose-and-bite-off/) [Charlotte Mary Yonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mary-yonge/) > [To me, there is nothing more soothing than the song of a mosquito that can't get through the mesh to bite you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-smartt-bell/to-me-there-is-nothing-more-soothing-than-the-song-of-a-mosquito-that/) [Madison Smartt Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-smartt-bell/) > [“You’re staring at me,” I protest between bites of crawfish etouffee. Asher lifts a shoulder. “Just watching in case you get foodgasmic again.” I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-ryan/you-re-staring-at-me-i-protest-between-bites-of-crawfish-etouffee/) [Lexi Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-ryan/) > [I don't bite you know ... unless it's called for,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/i-don-t-bite-you-know-unless-it-s-called-for/) [Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/) > [In every country dogges bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-every-country-dogges-bite/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) ## More by Paul Merson > [Don't put too much pressure on Jack Wilshere... in years to come I think he will be an Arsenal great like Liam Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/don-t-put-too-much-pressure-on-jack-wilshere-in-years-to-come-i-think/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [When Everton knock it long, they don't knock it long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/when-everton-knock-it-long-they-don-t-knock-it-long/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [ The best player I ever played against was Paolo Maldini. We \[Arsenal\] played against Milan in the European Supercup \[in 1995\]. Maldini marked me… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/the-best-player-i-ever-played-against-was-paolo-maldini-we-arsenal/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [If you keep walking past the barbers, eventually you'll get a haircut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/if-you-keep-walking-past-the-barbers-eventually-you-ll-get-a-haircut/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [You don't want to bite your nose off to spite your face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/you-don-t-want-to-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-your-face/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [Never worry about what people think. That's what drove me to drinking a lot of time, worrying about what people thought of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/never-worry-about-what-people-think-that-s-what-drove-me-to-drinking/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [When you see your friends going out every Friday night, and earning two hundred quid at the building site, and you're earning twenty-five pounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/when-you-see-your-friends-going-out-every-friday-night-and-earning/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [Football's all about yesterday, it's all about now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/football-s-all-about-yesterday-it-s-all-about-now/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [David Nugent tore up the Championship but he’s gone to Portsmouth and he’s a fish up a tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/david-nugent-tore-up-the-championship-but-he-s-gone-to-portsmouth-and/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [If you’re chopping and changing the team you don’t get that word I can’t pronounce beginning with ‘C’.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/if-you-re-chopping-and-changing-the-team-you-don-t-get-that-word-i/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [Every single player on the pitch is now in the Birmingham box, apart from two of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/every-single-player-on-the-pitch-is-now-in-the-birmingham-box-apart/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [But I was just a normal person really. You see, I didn't get it in my head that I was just a professional footballer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/but-i-was-just-a-normal-person-really-you-see-i-didn-t-get-it-in-my/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [Reading won't have the confidence to be confident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/reading-won-t-have-the-confidence-to-be-confident/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [I went to AA, which was a major help for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/i-went-to-aa-which-was-a-major-help-for-me/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [We grew up in an age of playing reserve team football at the stadium. If the first team were playing away, you'd be playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/we-grew-up-in-an-age-of-playing-reserve-team-football-at-the-stadium/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) [Explore all 74 Paul Merson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) ## More Bite quotes > [In every country dogges bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-every-country-dogges-bite/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [I don't bite you know ... unless it's called for,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/i-don-t-bite-you-know-unless-it-s-called-for/) [Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/) > [“You don’t see someone flying and you begin to bite yourself for not being able to do that. You do what you can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-don-t-see-someone-flying-and-you-begin-to-bite-yourself-for-not/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I didn't respond to people thrusting microphones at me and asking me questions that were unanswerable in a sound bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-didn-t-respond-to-people-thrusting-microphones-at-me-and-asking-me/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [“The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-nakoneczny-high-school-track-coach/the-best-way-to-eat-an-elephant-is-one-bite-at-a-time/) [Wayne Nakoneczny high school track coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-nakoneczny-high-school-track-coach/) > [“A werewolf bite turned me gay?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tielle-st-clare/a-werewolf-bite-turned-me-gay/) [Tielle St. Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tielle-st-clare/) > [“All the better to bite you, my dear!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mari-mancusi/all-the-better-to-bite-you-my-dear/) [Mari Mancusi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mari-mancusi/) > [If the first bite is with the eye and the second with the nose, some people will never take that third, actual bite if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/if-the-first-bite-is-with-the-eye-and-the-second-with-the-nose-some/) [Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/) > [“What animal would do this?"he said harshly. "No, little one, animals might scratch you, or bite you, or even rip you apart in hunger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-animal-would-do-this-he-said-harshly-no-little-one-animals-might/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've been known not to bite my tongue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-gibbs/i-ve-been-known-not-to-bite-my-tongue/) [Freddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-gibbs/) > [“Bite your tongue. Don't let anyone bite it off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/bite-your-tongue-don-t-let-anyone-bite-it-off/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [“Hold me like you hold the hand of a little kid who needs you in loneliness, bite my fingers like you bite a giggling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/hold-me-like-you-hold-the-hand-of-a-little-kid-who-needs-you-in/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [“He pulled away from me and held his hands in the air like he was weighing something. “Keep Sophie safe or let Sophie die.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micalea-smeltzer/he-pulled-away-from-me-and-held-his-hands-in-the-air-like-he-was/) [Micalea Smeltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micalea-smeltzer/) > [“Once the hand that feeds you fails, you are free to bite away!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/once-the-hand-that-feeds-you-fails-you-are-free-to-bite-away/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [If you live among dogs, keep a stick. After all, this is what a hound has teeth for-to bite when he feels like it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-khrushchev/if-you-live-among-dogs-keep-a-stick-after-all-this-is-what-a-hound/) [Nikita Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-khrushchev/) [Browse all 516 Bite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bite/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can’t bite your nose off to spite your face.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Merson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/you-can-t-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-your-face/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bite" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/you-can-t-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-your-face/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04c/paul-merson-9263_bite_you-can-t-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-yo_1678210.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04c/paul-merson-9263_bite_you-can-t-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-yo_1678210.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04c/paul-merson-9263_bite_you-can-t-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-yo_1678210.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can’t bite your nose off to spite your face.” — Paul Merson", "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": "Paul Merson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can’t bite your nose off...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/you-can-t-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-your-face/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/you-can-t-bite-your-nose-off-to-spite-your-face/#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 } } ] } ```