If I solve my dispute with my neighbor by killing him, I have certainly solved the immediate dispute. If my neighbor was a scoundrel, then the world is no doubt better for his absence. But in killing my neighbor, though he may have been a terrible man who did not deserve to live, I have made myself a killer-and the life of my next neighbor is in greater peril than the life of the last. In making myself a killer I have destroyed the possibility of neighborhood.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Killing a neighbor solves a personal dispute but creates a killer, endangering future neighbors and destroying community possibility.
- In plain terms
- Murder solves a problem but makes you a killer and harms the community.
- What can you take from it?
- Violence erodes trust and safety for everyone.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What are non‑violent alternatives to deadly conflict?
- How does personal safety balance with community health?
Another view
In extreme self‑defense, lethal force may be unavoidable.
More from Wendell Berry
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