---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The pig had been killed because spirits…"
description: "\"“The pig had been killed because spirits, like people, cannot resist the smell of cooking pig.”\" — Peter Matthiessen"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/peter-matthiessen-5795_killed_the-pig-had-been-killed-because-spirits_1371997.png"
---

#  The pig had been killed because spirits, like people…

![“The pig had been killed because spirits, like people, cannot resist the smell of cooking pig.” quote by Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/peter-matthiessen-5795_killed_the-pig-had-been-killed-because-spirits_1371997.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/peter-matthiessen-5795_killed_the-pig-had-been-killed-because-spirits_1371997.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/peter-matthiessen-5795_killed_the-pig-had-been-killed-because-spirits_1371997.png)

> ““The pig had been killed because spirits, like people, cannot resist the smell of cooking pig.””

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Spirits and people alike are drawn to the irresistible allure of a cooking pig, symbolizing temptation and instinct.

**In simple terms:** Temptation is unavoidable for both spirits and humans.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and manage irresistible urges.

Themes

temptation instinct human nature

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical observational

When to use this quote

- Cooking gatherings
- ritual feasts
- cultural celebrations
- family meals

Key Concepts

Mythology psychology symbolism

Questions to Reflect On

- What temptations dominate your choices?
- How can you transform a craving into constructive action?

A Different Perspective

Even strong urges can be channeled positively with awareness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [When I was still quite young I had a complete presentiment of life. It was like the nauseating smell of cooking escaping from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/when-i-was-still-quite-young-i-had-a-complete-presentiment-of-life-it/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [The smell of cooking food is often a calming one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-smell-of-cooking-food-is-often-a-calming-one/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The mere smell of cooking can evoke a whole civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernand-braudel/the-mere-smell-of-cooking-can-evoke-a-whole-civilization/)

[Fernand Braudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernand-braudel/)

> [Osama Bin Laden is dead. Killed not by a massive troop deployment but by a commando raid carried out by a few dozen highly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/osama-bin-laden-is-dead-killed-not-by-a-massive-troop-deployment-but/)

[Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/)

> [My other brother-in-law died. He was a karate expert, then joined the army. The first time he saluted, he killed himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henny-youngman/my-other-brother-in-law-died-he-was-a-karate-expert-then-joined-the/)

[Henny Youngman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henny-youngman/)

> [The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/the-enemy-is-anybody-who-s-going-to-get-you-killed-no-matter-which/)

[Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/)

> [My mother, she killed me, My father, he ate me, My sister Marlene, Gathered all my bones, Tied them in a silken scarf, Laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-mother-she-killed-me-my-father-he-ate-me-my-sister-marlene/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“How about giving your old man a break here, huh, Chirp?" "Chirp is dead," I hear myself say and watch the flat words destroy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-wiess/how-about-giving-your-old-man-a-break-here-huh-chirp-chirp-is-dead-i/)

[Laura Wiess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-wiess/)

> [“People from IT sent to replace those they’d killed. Juliette’s”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/people-from-it-sent-to-replace-those-they-d-killed-juliette-s/)

[Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/)

> [Lord Raoul asked me to tell you that if you get yourself killed, he will never speak to you again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/lord-raoul-asked-me-to-tell-you-that-if-you-get-yourself-killed-he/)

[Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/)

> [“But I held him till he relented and just let me pet him and give him some affection. “I love you, Toast. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craven/but-i-held-him-till-he-relented-and-just-let-me-pet-him-and-give-him/)

Michael Craven

> [“Its just either your way or my way. There is no way that is universally right. For British, they killed us to develop their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/its-just-either-your-way-or-my-way-there-is-no-way-that-is/)

[Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/)

> [“The only ones who kill are those prepared to be killed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lelouch-vi-britannia/the-only-ones-who-kill-are-those-prepared-to-be-killed/)

[Lelouch Vi Britannia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lelouch-vi-britannia/)

> [“I knew how I was supposed to feel when I was with him. Well, I knew what I was not supposed to feel. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-miranda/i-knew-how-i-was-supposed-to-feel-when-i-was-with-him-well-i-knew/)

[Megan Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-miranda/)

> [I never thought I'd be on the cover of the 'Atlanta Journal' unless I killed someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-robinson/i-never-thought-i-d-be-on-the-cover-of-the-atlanta-journal-unless-i/)

[Chris Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-robinson/)

## More by Peter Matthiessen

> [Alec Wilkinson is a spare, clear, and lucid writer who works in stylistic simplicity with material that is not simple at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/alec-wilkinson-is-a-spare-clear-and-lucid-writer-who-works-in/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [Figures dark beneath their loads pass down the far bank of the river, rendered immortal by the streak of sunset upon their shoulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/figures-dark-beneath-their-loads-pass-down-the-far-bank-of-the-river/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [I think in any writing you're paying attention to detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/i-think-in-any-writing-you-re-paying-attention-to-detail/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [The great stillness in these landscapes that once made me restless seeps into me day by day, and with it the unreasonable feeling that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/the-great-stillness-in-these-landscapes-that-once-made-me-restless/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [“...experience was static in the valley; it was older than time itself, for time was a thing of but two generations, dated by moons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/experience-was-static-in-the-valley-it-was-older-than-time-itself-for/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [“The central feature of the practice of meditation and hard work known as Zen is that, as Matthiessen says, it “has no patience with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/the-central-feature-of-the-practice-of-meditation-and-hard-work-known/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [Be light, light, light - full of light!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/be-light-light-light-full-of-light/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [For some time I watch the coming of the night? Above is the glistening galaxy of childhood, now hidden in the Western world by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/for-some-time-i-watch-the-coming-of-the-night-above-is-the-glistening/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [“Nonfiction at its best is like fashioning a cabinet. It can be elegant and very beautiful but it can never be sculpture. Captive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/nonfiction-at-its-best-is-like-fashioning-a-cabinet-it-can-be-elegant/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [Soon the child’s clear eye is clouded over by ideas and opinions, preconceptions, and abstractions. Simple free being becomes encrusted with the burdensome armor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/soon-the-child-s-clear-eye-is-clouded-over-by-ideas-and-opinions/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [“In the book of Job, the Lord demands, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?” “I was there!”-surely that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/in-the-book-of-job-the-lord-demands-where-wast-thou-when-i-laid-the/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [I meditate for the last time on this mountain that is bare, though others all around are white with snow. Like the bare peak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/i-meditate-for-the-last-time-on-this-mountain-that-is-bare-though/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [I was just very interested in the American frontier and the growth of capitalism - those enormous fortunes that were being made, more often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/i-was-just-very-interested-in-the-american-frontier-and-the-growth-of/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [“A far cicada rings high and clear over the river’s heavy wash. Morning glory, a lone dandelion, cassia, orchids. So far from the nearest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/a-far-cicada-rings-high-and-clear-over-the-river-s-heavy-wash-morning/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [I ... had what Kierkegaard called 'the sickness of infinitude,' wandering from one path to another with no real recognition that I was embarked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/i-had-what-kierkegaard-called-the-sickness-of-infinitude-wandering/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

[Explore all 99 Peter Matthiessen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

## More Killed quotes

> [I never thought I'd be on the cover of the 'Atlanta Journal' unless I killed someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-robinson/i-never-thought-i-d-be-on-the-cover-of-the-atlanta-journal-unless-i/)

[Chris Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-robinson/)

> [“I knew how I was supposed to feel when I was with him. Well, I knew what I was not supposed to feel. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-miranda/i-knew-how-i-was-supposed-to-feel-when-i-was-with-him-well-i-knew/)

[Megan Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-miranda/)

> [“The only ones who kill are those prepared to be killed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lelouch-vi-britannia/the-only-ones-who-kill-are-those-prepared-to-be-killed/)

[Lelouch Vi Britannia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lelouch-vi-britannia/)

> [“Its just either your way or my way. There is no way that is universally right. For British, they killed us to develop their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/its-just-either-your-way-or-my-way-there-is-no-way-that-is/)

[Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/)

> [“But I held him till he relented and just let me pet him and give him some affection. “I love you, Toast. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craven/but-i-held-him-till-he-relented-and-just-let-me-pet-him-and-give-him/)

Michael Craven

> [Lord Raoul asked me to tell you that if you get yourself killed, he will never speak to you again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/lord-raoul-asked-me-to-tell-you-that-if-you-get-yourself-killed-he/)

[Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/)

> [“People from IT sent to replace those they’d killed. Juliette’s”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/people-from-it-sent-to-replace-those-they-d-killed-juliette-s/)

[Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/)

> [“How about giving your old man a break here, huh, Chirp?" "Chirp is dead," I hear myself say and watch the flat words destroy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-wiess/how-about-giving-your-old-man-a-break-here-huh-chirp-chirp-is-dead-i/)

[Laura Wiess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-wiess/)

> [My mother, she killed me, My father, he ate me, My sister Marlene, Gathered all my bones, Tied them in a silken scarf, Laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-mother-she-killed-me-my-father-he-ate-me-my-sister-marlene/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/the-enemy-is-anybody-who-s-going-to-get-you-killed-no-matter-which/)

[Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/)

> [My other brother-in-law died. He was a karate expert, then joined the army. The first time he saluted, he killed himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henny-youngman/my-other-brother-in-law-died-he-was-a-karate-expert-then-joined-the/)

[Henny Youngman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henny-youngman/)

> [Osama Bin Laden is dead. Killed not by a massive troop deployment but by a commando raid carried out by a few dozen highly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/osama-bin-laden-is-dead-killed-not-by-a-massive-troop-deployment-but/)

[Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/)

> [“Hey hey Susan Day have you killed any kids today?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/hey-hey-susan-day-have-you-killed-any-kids-today/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [What makes the rich cry, must've killed the poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jezreel-scott/what-makes-the-rich-cry-must-ve-killed-the-poor/)

[Jezreel Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jezreel-scott/)

> [Fifty thousand people in Mexico have been murdered. Puerto Penasco, 60 miles south of our border, just had five people and a police officer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/fifty-thousand-people-in-mexico-have-been-murdered-puerto-penasco-60/)

[Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/)

Browse all 1,023 Killed quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The pig had been killed because spirits, like people, cannot resist the smell of cooking pig.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Peter Matthiessen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/the-pig-had-been-killed-because-spirits-like-people-cannot-resist-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Killed"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/the-pig-had-been-killed-because-spirits-like-people-cannot-resist-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/peter-matthiessen-5795_killed_the-pig-had-been-killed-because-spirits_1371997.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/peter-matthiessen-5795_killed_the-pig-had-been-killed-because-spirits_1371997.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/peter-matthiessen-5795_killed_the-pig-had-been-killed-because-spirits_1371997.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The pig had been killed because spirits, like people, cannot resist the smell of cooking pig.” — Peter Matthiessen",
                "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": "Peter Matthiessen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The pig had been killed because...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/the-pig-had-been-killed-because-spirits-like-people-cannot-resist-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/the-pig-had-been-killed-because-spirits-like-people-cannot-resist-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
