---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not funny that a man should be…"
description: "\"It is not funny that a man should be killed, but it is sometimes funny that he should be killed for so little, and that his death should be the coin of..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b14/raymond-chandler-629_civilization_it-is-not-funny-that-a-man-should-be-kil_505101.jpg"
---

#  It is not funny that a man should be killed, but it is…

![“It is not funny that a man should be killed, but it is sometimes funny that he should be killed for so little, and that his death should be the coin of what we call civilization.” quote by Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b14/raymond-chandler-629_civilization_it-is-not-funny-that-a-man-should-be-kil_505101.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b14/raymond-chandler-629_civilization_it-is-not-funny-that-a-man-should-be-kil_505101.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b14/raymond-chandler-629_civilization_it-is-not-funny-that-a-man-should-be-kil_505101.jpg)

> “It is not funny that a man should be killed, but it is sometimes funny that he should be killed for so little, and that his death should be the coin of what we call civilization.”

[Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/)

## About This Quote

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

Violence often appears absurd when the stakes are trivial, exposing civilization’s hypocrisy.

**In simple terms:** Trivial causes lead to absurd deaths.

Key Takeaway

Question the value placed on life.

Themes

morality violence civilization irony

Mood

cynical critical

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- war
- capital punishment
- media sensationalism
- legal injustice

Key Concepts

existential critique social commentary

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do societies deem some deaths insignificant?
- How does this perspective affect justice?

A Different Perspective

The quote may generalize without nuance.

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