--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It may be better to be a live jackal than…" description: "\"It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but it is better still to be a live lion. And usually easier.\" — Robert A. Heinlein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/robert-a-heinlein-209_easier_it-may-be-better-to-be-a-live-jackal-tha_1938631.jpg" --- # It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but… ![“It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but it is better still to be a live lion. And usually easier.” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/robert-a-heinlein-209_easier_it-may-be-better-to-be-a-live-jackal-tha_1938631.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/robert-a-heinlein-209_easier_it-may-be-better-to-be-a-live-jackal-tha_1938631.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/robert-a-heinlein-209_easier_it-may-be-better-to-be-a-live-jackal-tha_1938631.jpg) > “It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but it is better still to be a live lion. And usually easier.” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being alive, even if less majestic, is preferable to a dead, more noble existence; living offers more possibilities. **In simple terms:** Living, even modestly, is better than dying gloriously. Key Takeaway Value life’s opportunities over imagined glory. Themes life death valor pragmatism Mood pragmatic philosophical Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - career decisions - personal growth - risk assessment Key Concepts existential choice survival instincts Questions to Reflect On - Would you choose safety over fame? - How do you define a life well lived? A Different Perspective Glorified death can be tempting but impractical. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dead Lion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-lion-507154/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Jackals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jackals/) [Lion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lion/) [Lion Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lion-better-3075349/) [Lion Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lion-usually-3075351/) [Lions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lions/) [Live Jackal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-jackal-2887155/) [Live Lion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-lion-3075350/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) ## Related quotes > [Most of us live in a Jackal world where we take turns using the other person as a waste basket for our words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/most-of-us-live-in-a-jackal-world-where-we-take-turns-using-the-other/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [“An army of sheep led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by a sheep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/an-army-of-sheep-led-by-a-lion-is-better-than-an-army-of-lions-led-by/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [An army of asses led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by an ass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/an-army-of-asses-led-by-a-lion-is-better-than-an-army-of-lions-led-by/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [I thought you'd rather have a live donkey than a dead lion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-shackleton/i-thought-you-d-rather-have-a-live-donkey-than-a-dead-lion/) [Ernest Shackleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-shackleton/) > [It was a confusion of ideas between him and one of the lions he was hunting in Kenya that had caused A. B. Spottsworth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/it-was-a-confusion-of-ideas-between-him-and-one-of-the-lions-he-was/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [A living dog is better than a dead lion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/a-living-dog-is-better-than-a-dead-lion/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [Hares can gambol over the body of a dead lion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/hares-can-gambol-over-the-body-of-a-dead-lion/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [If you have any shame, forbear to pluck the beard of a dead lion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martial/if-you-have-any-shame-forbear-to-pluck-the-beard-of-a-dead-lion/) [Martial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martial/) > [He who does not understand that a dead lion is more alive than a living dog will remain a dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/he-who-does-not-understand-that-a-dead-lion-is-more-alive-than-a/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [“I faced the "dead lion" courageously but will definitely run if I meet a roaring one...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bahterawan/i-faced-the-dead-lion-courageously-but-will-definitely-run-if-i-meet/) [Bahterawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bahterawan/) > [“A living dog's better than a dead lion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/a-living-dog-s-better-than-a-dead-lion/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > ['A living dog is better than a dead lion.' Judge Douglas, if not a dead lion for this work, is at least a caged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/a-living-dog-is-better-than-a-dead-lion-judge-douglas-if-not-a-dead/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Better a live dog than a dead lion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hoffman/better-a-live-dog-than-a-dead-lion/) [Paul Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hoffman/) > [“The world would sooner bury a live rat than it would a dead lion”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agona-apell/the-world-would-sooner-bury-a-live-rat-than-it-would-a-dead-lion/) [Agona Apell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agona-apell/) > [Even a hare, the weakest of animals, may insult a dead lion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/even-a-hare-the-weakest-of-animals-may-insult-a-dead-lion/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. 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Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Easier quotes > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [I think hair gel was invented to make it easier to identify assholes from a distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-think-hair-gel-was-invented-to-make-it-easier-to-identify-assholes/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [It is easier to say you're mad, rather than admitting you're hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-easier-to-say-you-re-mad-rather-than-admitting-you-re-hurt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing is easier than yesterday's solutions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-sperry/nothing-is-easier-than-yesterday-s-solutions/) [Roger Sperry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-sperry/) > [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/when-you-have-a-cavity-in-your-tooth-and-you-let-it-get-worse/) [Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/) > [Generally, I like all islands. There, it is easier to rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/generally-i-like-all-islands-there-it-is-easier-to-rule/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [It's funny, everything is so much easier when you do it yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/it-s-funny-everything-is-so-much-easier-when-you-do-it-yourself/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [It is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/it-is-easier-to-perceive-error-than-to-find-truth-for-the-former-lies/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. 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You are where you are supposed to be. The job you are doing may not be any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-kushner/god-puts-you-where-god-needs-you-you-are-where-you-are-supposed-to-be/) [Lawrence Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-kushner/) [Browse all 5,480 Easier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but it is better still to be a live lion. And usually easier.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert A. 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