Is this quote originally from The Dark Knight?
You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
Now I'm fairly certain I've been saying that line for at least ten years, don't know where I heard it, but now someone pointed out I was referencing The Dark Knight and I honestly couldn't believe it when I googled the phrase and found nothing but Dark Knight sites.
That expression must be older than 2008. Right?
Best Answer
It's highly likely that the quote originated from The Dark Knight movie. Apparently, Batman (and other super-heroes) was inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher. A lot of aspects of Batman are inspired by Nietzsche's beliefs which would explain why the movies seem very philosophical at times.
Along with the fact that there seem to be no references to this quote prior to the movie release (or any variation of it), I conclude that it did in fact originate (at least main stream) from the movie.
- Source: Nietzsche and the Superhero
- Source: A philosophical basis for the Batman saga
- Search: Batman + philosophy (tried to add as a link but wouldn't let me)
- Search: Batman + Nietzsche (tried to add as a link but wouldn't let me)
There is also more proof of this in the book, Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul. While it doesn't specify the quote, it does discuss the connection between Batman and Nietzsche.
Pictures about "Is this quote originally from The Dark Knight?"
What is the quote from The Dark Knight?
\u201cIf this man is everything that you say he is, then this city needs me.\u201d \u2013 Bruce Wayne, The Dark Knight Rises.Why do we fall Dark Knight Rises quote?
\u201cWhy do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.\u201d, Thomas Wayne.What does Gordon say at the end of The Dark Knight?
GORDON: ...he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So, we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero.The Dark Knight - Top 10 Quotes
More answers regarding is this quote originally from The Dark Knight?
Answer 2
This quote was attributed to Bill Finger who died in 1974, he was best known as the uncredited actual creator of Batman
Answer 3
Although this exact quote may have been first said in the dark knight many men have addressed the philosophy of the corruption of a good man's soul.
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." -Frederick Nietzsche.
Answer 4
This quote does originally come from the film. Harvey coins the phrase (no pun intended) in response to Rachel's comment abot Caesar. He isn't using a common expression, but it does come off quite eloquently. Still it is very similar to the philosophy of Michael Foucault who criticized political and social figures who turn to abusing power for indulgent convenience.
Answer 5
I agree that it's almost difficult to believe, but sometimes Hollywood coins a phrase that really resonates.
Another example of a phrase that everyone uses but which came from a modern day movie: "bucket list" from the film The Bucket List (2007). Nobody had ever used that phrase before the film was produced.
Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-origins-of-bucket-list-1432909572
So the phrase you pulled out does indeed appear to have originated in The Dark Knight. There is simply no other earlier source for that quote anywhere.
Kudos to Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan for coining something that seems to get truer with each passing year.
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