--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ants have the most complicated social…" description: "\"Ants have the most complicated social organization on earth next to humans.\" — E. O. Wilson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/e-o-wilson-1348_ants_ants-have-the-most-complicated-social-or_2443959.png" --- # Ants have the most complicated social organization on… ![“Ants have the most complicated social organization on earth next to humans.” quote by E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/e-o-wilson-1348_ants_ants-have-the-most-complicated-social-or_2443959.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/e-o-wilson-1348_ants_ants-have-the-most-complicated-social-or_2443959.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/e-o-wilson-1348_ants_ants-have-the-most-complicated-social-or_2443959.png) > “Ants have the most complicated social organization on earth next to humans.” [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ant societies are highly complex, rivaling human social structures. **In simple terms:** Ants have intricate societies. Key Takeaway Study nature to improve human organization. Themes biology social structure complexity Mood analytical inquisitive Type scientific educational When to use this quote - urban planning - team building - education - conservation Key Concepts ethology comparative sociology Questions to Reflect On - What can we learn from ant cooperation? - How do human cultures compare? A Different Perspective Human societies may differ fundamentally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) [Ants Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants-complicated-511308/) [Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) [Complicated Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated-social-511309/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Earth Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth-humans-264844/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Organization Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization-earth-511310/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-organization/) ## Related quotes > [The modern research laboratory can be a large and complicated social organism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-bishop/the-modern-research-laboratory-can-be-a-large-and-complicated-social/) [J. Michael Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-bishop/) > [Many of us are inspired and are eager to get things done. But once too many people are involved, life becomes complicated. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/many-of-us-are-inspired-and-are-eager-to-get-things-done-but-once-too/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [“WE END UP with the following situation: on the one hand, we have a news agenda dominated by reports of the workings of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/we-end-up-with-the-following-situation-on-the-one-hand-we-have-a-news/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“ There are 7+ Billion People on Earth, but How many of them are Humans? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-gupta/there-are-7-billion-people-on-earth-but-how-many-of-them-are-humans/) [Amit Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-gupta/) > [Only the Earth can become the central axis around which world peace can be spun, for no religion is more compelling, no single nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/only-the-earth-can-become-the-central-axis-around-which-world-peace/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“This is what the Others have done to us. You can’t band together to fight without trust. And without trust, there was no hope.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/this-is-what-the-others-have-done-to-us-you-can-t-band-together-to/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [I do subscribe to the 2012 theory, but regardless of the date, it's hard not to notice that humans are polluting the earth with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-deacon/i-do-subscribe-to-the-2012-theory-but-regardless-of-the-date-it-s/) [Dan Deacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-deacon/) > [“We Destruct more than we Build. . . We are humans. . . We are the best and more powerful creature on earth. .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru/we-destruct-more-than-we-build-we-are-humans-we-are-the-best-and-more/) [Guru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru/) > ["Give me liberty or give me death." A human named Patrick Henry said that. 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This point of view and teaching is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nye/incidentally-the-creationists-that-i-ve-encountered-diligently-deny/) [Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nye/) > [“Once upon a time, Aristophanes relates, there were gods in the heavens and humans down on earth. But we humans did not look the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/once-upon-a-time-aristophanes-relates-there-were-gods-in-the-heavens/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The most striking thing to me about human space flight and my own personal experience is that I've seen dramatic changes on Earth. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-grunsfeld/the-most-striking-thing-to-me-about-human-space-flight-and-my-own/) [John M. Grunsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-grunsfeld/) ## More by E. O. Wilson > [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/without-a-trace-of-irony-i-can-say-i-have-been-blessed-with-brilliant/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [It's always been a dream of mine, of exploring the living world, of classifying all the species and finding out what makes up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/it-s-always-been-a-dream-of-mine-of-exploring-the-living-world-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Competing is intense among humans, and within a group, selfish individuals always win. But in contests between groups, groups of altruists always beat groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/competing-is-intense-among-humans-and-within-a-group-selfish/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [When all else fails, men turn to reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/when-all-else-fails-men-turn-to-reason/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The commitment must be much deeper - to let no species knowingly die; to take all reasonable action to protect every species and race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-commitment-must-be-much-deeper-to-let-no-species-knowingly-die-to/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Science is not marginal. Like art, it is a universal possession of humanity, and scientific knowledge has become a vital part of our species'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/science-is-not-marginal-like-art-it-is-a-universal-possession-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The living environment is the biosphere, the thin layer around the world of living organisms. We're part of that. Our existence is dependent on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-living-environment-is-the-biosphere-the-thin-layer-around-the/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The biological evolutionary perception of life and of human qualities is radically different from that of traditional religion, whether it's Southern Baptist or Islam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-biological-evolutionary-perception-of-life-and-of-human-qualities/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/we-should-preserve-every-scrap-of-biodiversity-as-priceless-while-we/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [In many environments, take away the ants and there would be partial collapses in many of the land ecosystems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/in-many-environments-take-away-the-ants-and-there-would-be-partial/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [If those committed to the quest fail, they will be forgiven. When lost, they will find another way. The moral imperative of humanism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/if-those-committed-to-the-quest-fail-they-will-be-forgiven-when-lost/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The extinctions ongoing worldwide promise to be at least as great as the mass extinction that occurred at the end of the age of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-extinctions-ongoing-worldwide-promise-to-be-at-least-as-great-as/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Most people are surprised when they hear my somber figures: we know of 2 million species of plants, animals and microorganisms, and we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/most-people-are-surprised-when-they-hear-my-somber-figures-we-know-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Because the living environment is what really sustains us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/because-the-living-environment-is-what-really-sustains-us/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The variety of genes on the planet in viruses exceeds, or is likely to exceed, that in all of the rest of life combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-variety-of-genes-on-the-planet-in-viruses-exceeds-or-is-likely-to/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) [Explore all 253 E. O. Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) ## More Ants quotes > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [Great God of the Ants, thou hast granted victory to thy servants. I appoint thee honorary Colonel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-capek/great-god-of-the-ants-thou-hast-granted-victory-to-thy-servants-i/) [Karel Capek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-capek/) > [Pray look upon the plants and birds, the ants, spiders, and bees, and you will see them all exerting their nature, and busy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/pray-look-upon-the-plants-and-birds-the-ants-spiders-and-bees-and-you/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [People are like ants: Just a few of them give all the orders. And most of them spend their lives getting squashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/people-are-like-ants-just-a-few-of-them-give-all-the-orders-and-most/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [There's a good case to be made that having fun is a key evolutionary advantage right next to opposable thumbs in terms of importance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raph-koster/there-s-a-good-case-to-be-made-that-having-fun-is-a-key-evolutionary/) [Raph Koster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raph-koster/) > [“THE FIGHTERS ARE TINY. INSECTS, REALLY. BUT ANTS CAN SLAY AN ELEPHANT, IF THERE ARE ENOUGH OF THEM. ESPECIALLY ANTS ARMED WITH HIGH-YIELD EXPLOSIVES…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amie-kaufman/the-fighters-are-tiny-insects-really-but-ants-can-slay-an-elephant-if/) [Amie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amie-kaufman/) > [We know of no behavior in ants or any other social insects that can be construed as play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-holldobler/we-know-of-no-behavior-in-ants-or-any-other-social-insects-that-can/) [Bert Holldobler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-holldobler/) > [Oh, ants, my sisters, good old honeydew-seekers! From close up you are sticky and shiny and gristly; and your nymphs have parasitic red mites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/oh-ants-my-sisters-good-old-honeydew-seekers-from-close-up-you-are/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [When someone criticizes or disagrees with you, a small ant of hatred and antagonism is born in your heart. If you do not squash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/when-someone-criticizes-or-disagrees-with-you-a-small-ant-of-hatred/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Lies are like ants; there's never just one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-ash/lies-are-like-ants-there-s-never-just-one/) [Julia Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-ash/) > [There's a scientific hypothesis that every person's name is a primary suggestive command that contains the entire script of their life in highly concentrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-pelevin/there-s-a-scientific-hypothesis-that-every-person-s-name-is-a-primary/) [Victor Pelevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-pelevin/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. But now that I'm older, I'm more of a cat guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-was-little-i-would-burn-ants-with-a-magnifying-glass-but-now/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [If ants were the size of humans, they would be able to run twice as fast as a Lamborghini.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-ants-were-the-size-of-humans-they-would-be-able-to-run-twice-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 499 Ants quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ants have the most complicated social organization on earth next to humans.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "E. O. 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