--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Kill a man who needs killing, and…" description: "\"Kill a man who needs killing, and sometimes others pay for it. The question is, was it worth doing it anyway? There's always a balance, you know. Good ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36f/robert-jordan-438_balance_kill-a-man-who-needs-killing-and-sometim_2460974.jpg" --- # Kill a man who needs killing, and sometimes others pay for… ![“Kill a man who needs killing, and sometimes others pay for it. The question is, was it worth doing it anyway? There's always a balance, you know. Good and evil. Light and Shadow. We would not be human if there wasn't a balance.” quote by Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36f/robert-jordan-438_balance_kill-a-man-who-needs-killing-and-sometim_2460974.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36f/robert-jordan-438_balance_kill-a-man-who-needs-killing-and-sometim_2460974.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36f/robert-jordan-438_balance_kill-a-man-who-needs-killing-and-sometim_2460974.jpg) > “Kill a man who needs killing, and sometimes others pay for it. The question is, was it worth doing it anyway? There's always a balance, you know. Good and evil. Light and Shadow. We would not be human if there wasn't a balance.” [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actions have consequences; moral balance is essential, but the justification of killing must be weighed against its impact. **In simple terms:** Killing has moral costs. Key Takeaway Consider the true cost of violence. Themes morality consequences balance human nature Mood tense thought‑provoking Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - war - self‑defense - law enforcement - personal conflict Key Concepts ethical dilemmas justice retribution Questions to Reflect On - Is any killing ever truly justified? - How do we define a just balance? A Different Perspective Violence can erode moral foundations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Good and evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-evil/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Kill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kill/) [Kill Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kill-man/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Killing Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-pay-654174/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Light and shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-and-shadow/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Needs Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs-killing-654173/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) ## Related quotes > [Sorry we’re late,” Jason said. “Is this the guy who needs killing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sorry-we-re-late-jason-said-is-this-the-guy-who-needs-killing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Come to think of it, an Aes Sedai would probably follow a man off a cliff, too, if only to explain to him -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/come-to-think-of-it-an-aes-sedai-would-probably-follow-a-man-off-a/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [Before I knew that a man could kill a man, because it happens all the time. Now I know that even the person with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-i-knew-that-a-man-could-kill-a-man-because-it-happens-all-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To kill a man is not to defend a doctrine, but to kill a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/to-kill-a-man-is-not-to-defend-a-doctrine-but-to-kill-a-man/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [I will lead mankind into a new world! You cannot kill me! No man can murder me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-borgia/i-will-lead-mankind-into-a-new-world-you-cannot-kill-me-no-man-can/) [Cesare Borgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-borgia/) > [The tongue is but three inches long, yet it can kill a man six feet high](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/japanese-proverb/the-tongue-is-but-three-inches-long-yet-it-can-kill-a-man-six-feet/) [Japanese Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/japanese-proverb/) > [Ask any soldier. To kill a man is to merit a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-giraudoux/ask-any-soldier-to-kill-a-man-is-to-merit-a-woman/) [Jean Giraudoux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-giraudoux/) > [“And isn’t it funny, she thought, that it takes two generations to kill off a man? … First him, and then his memory. …”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-ann-grau/and-isn-t-it-funny-she-thought-that-it-takes-two-generations-to-kill/) [Shirley Ann Grau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-ann-grau/) > [“Listen!” said Roosta urgently. “You can kill a man, destroy his body, break his spirit, but only the Total Perspective Vortex can annihilate a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/listen-said-roosta-urgently-you-can-kill-a-man-destroy-his-body-break/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [You'd better not kill me, man, I've got shit to do tomorrow!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-wayans/you-d-better-not-kill-me-man-i-ve-got-shit-to-do-tomorrow/) [Damon Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-wayans/) > [“You cannot kill a man who is already dead. Instead, you actually immortalize him by continuing to speak his name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-l-rucker/you-cannot-kill-a-man-who-is-already-dead-instead-you-actually/) [Brandon L. Rucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-l-rucker/) > [I know you are here to kill me. Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/i-know-you-are-here-to-kill-me-shoot-coward-you-are-only-going-to/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [“He was a Marine, for heaven's sake! He knew how to kill a man with his bare hands. He'd been shot and stabbed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-falkenrath/he-was-a-marine-for-heaven-s-sake-he-knew-how-to-kill-a-man-with-his/) [Barbara Falkenrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-falkenrath/) > [Men with purple hearts carry silver guns and they will kill a man for what his father has done. But what my father did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/men-with-purple-hearts-carry-silver-guns-and-they-will-kill-a-man-for/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [It cost about 75 cents to kill a man in Ceasar's time. The price rose to about $3,000 per man during the Napoleonic wars;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-bone/it-cost-about-75-cents-to-kill-a-man-in-ceasar-s-time-the-price-rose/) [Homer Bone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer-bone/) ## More by Robert Jordan > [“It was an odd thing Tam had taught him. Concentrate on a single flame and feed all your passions into it—fear, hate, anger—until your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/it-was-an-odd-thing-tam-had-taught-him-concentrate-on-a-single-flame/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“Relax, lad. Take life as it comes. Run when you have to, fight when you must, rest when you can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/relax-lad-take-life-as-it-comes-run-when-you-have-to-fight-when-you/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“As she spoke, the dice started tumbling inside his head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/as-she-spoke-the-dice-started-tumbling-inside-his-head/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [There was a wild light in his eyes. "Bring your lightnings, Aes Sedai. I will dance with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/there-was-a-wild-light-in-his-eyes-bring-your-lightnings-aes-sedai-i/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [My mother always told me the best way to learn to deal with a man was to learn to ride a mule. She said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/my-mother-always-told-me-the-best-way-to-learn-to-deal-with-a-man-was/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, Perrin. We’ve become what we needed to become.” Perrin”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/the-wheel-weaves-as-the-wheel-wills-perrin-we-ve-become-what-we/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“All of you, fare well, and may you shelter in the palm of the Creator’s hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/all-of-you-fare-well-and-may-you-shelter-in-the-palm-of-the-creator-s/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [If it's not forbidden, then it's allowed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/if-it-s-not-forbidden-then-it-s-allowed/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“Stay and get married, or travel the Ways." Loial grimaced ruefully. "Life is very unsettling with ta'veren for friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/stay-and-get-married-or-travel-the-ways-loial-grimaced-ruefully-life/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“Who would sup with the mighty must climb the path of daggers. -Anonymous notation found inked in the margin of a manuscript history (believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/who-would-sup-with-the-mighty-must-climb-the-path-of-daggers/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [Men always seem to refuse to admit they are sick until they're sick enough to make twice as much work for women. Then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/men-always-seem-to-refuse-to-admit-they-are-sick-until-they-re-sick/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [Beauty holds more worth than gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/beauty-holds-more-worth-than-gold/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [When the honey's out of the comb, there's no putting it back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/when-the-honey-s-out-of-the-comb-there-s-no-putting-it-back/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [Death comes to us all; we can only choose how to face it when it comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/death-comes-to-us-all-we-can-only-choose-how-to-face-it-when-it-comes/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“Burn me," Mat said, throwing on the shirt he dug out of the bundle. "I'll give you a hundred Tar Valon marks if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/burn-me-mat-said-throwing-on-the-shirt-he-dug-out-of-the-bundle-i-ll/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) [Explore all 553 Robert Jordan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Kill a man who needs killing, and sometimes others pay for it. The question is, was it worth doing it anyway? There's always a balance, you know. Good and evil. Light and Shadow. We would not be human if there wasn't a balance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Jordan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/kill-a-man-who-needs-killing-and-sometimes-others-pay-for-it-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Balance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/kill-a-man-who-needs-killing-and-sometimes-others-pay-for-it-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36f/robert-jordan-438_balance_kill-a-man-who-needs-killing-and-sometim_2460974.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36f/robert-jordan-438_balance_kill-a-man-who-needs-killing-and-sometim_2460974.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36f/robert-jordan-438_balance_kill-a-man-who-needs-killing-and-sometim_2460974.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Kill a man who needs killing, and sometimes others pay for it. The question is, was it worth doing it…” — Robert Jordan", "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": "Robert Jordan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Kill a man who needs killing,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/kill-a-man-who-needs-killing-and-sometimes-others-pay-for-it-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/kill-a-man-who-needs-killing-and-sometimes-others-pay-for-it-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 } } ] } ```