---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every kid has a bug period... I never…"
description: "\"Every kid has a bug period... I never grew out of mine.\" — E. O. Wilson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/e-o-wilson-1348_bugs_every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-never-grew_571193.png"
---

#  Every kid has a bug period... I never grew out of mine.

![“Every kid has a bug period... I never grew out of mine.” quote by E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/e-o-wilson-1348_bugs_every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-never-grew_571193.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/e-o-wilson-1348_bugs_every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-never-grew_571193.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/e-o-wilson-1348_bugs_every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-never-grew_571193.png)

> “Every kid has a bug period... I never grew out of mine.”

[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.

Children often experience a phase of intense curiosity and obsession that can persist into adulthood.

**In simple terms:** Kids have a "bug period" of intense focus that may never fully fade.

Key Takeaway

Embrace curiosity, channel it productively.

Themes

curiosity development lifelong learning

Mood

inquisitive analytical

Type

psychological inspirational

When to use this quote

- education
- research careers
- creative hobbies
- problem solving

Key Concepts

Psychology behavioral science

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you harness persistent curiosity?
- When does obsession become a barrier?

A Different Perspective

Some may outgrow it, others may be hindered by fixation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bug Period](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bug-period-1739289/) [Bugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bugs/) [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Grew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Period](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/period/) [Period Grew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/period-grew-4713586/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/)

## Related quotes

> [Every kid has a bug period, I like to say, and I just got so fascinated and I had that experience, that wonderful life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-like-to-say-and-i-just-got-so-fascinated/)

[E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/)

> [One thing I did was grow up as an ardent naturalist. I never grew out of my bug period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/one-thing-i-did-was-grow-up-as-an-ardent-naturalist-i-never-grew-out/)

[E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/)

> [I think from my earliest childhood, I liked to tell stories, put on plays and write things. It's funny to think of it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-kazan/i-think-from-my-earliest-childhood-i-liked-to-tell-stories-put-on/)

[Zoe Kazan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-kazan/)

> [As soon as I see period costume, I turn off. It's like hearing drama on Radio 4.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/as-soon-as-i-see-period-costume-i-turn-off-it-s-like-hearing-drama-on/)

[Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/)

> [There was a period of time when I thought I had to be Alice Cooper all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-cooper/there-was-a-period-of-time-when-i-thought-i-had-to-be-alice-cooper/)

[Alice Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-cooper/)

> [During the period of house arrest, I had an electronic manacle around my leg for 24 hours a day, and for someone who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/during-the-period-of-house-arrest-i-had-an-electronic-manacle-around/)

[Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/)

> [I'm not saying I'm the perfect role model. But I'm honest. Period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesha/i-m-not-saying-i-m-the-perfect-role-model-but-i-m-honest-period/)

[Kesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesha/)

> [I'm absolutely delighted if people think of me as a reliable purveyor of quality period stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/i-m-absolutely-delighted-if-people-think-of-me-as-a-reliable-purveyor/)

[Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/)

> [We're in a period where society seems very attracted to flash, and that seeps into people's musical taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-d-lang/we-re-in-a-period-where-society-seems-very-attracted-to-flash-and/)

[K. D. Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-d-lang/)

> [With period dramas, it's very easy to get excited because I love to do them. I'm a history nut and I love to immerse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-standen/with-period-dramas-it-s-very-easy-to-get-excited-because-i-love-to-do/)

[Clive Standen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-standen/)

> [I won't deny that I have a far more productive writing life without the Internet, mostly because I rekindle my ability to concentrate on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-julavits/i-won-t-deny-that-i-have-a-far-more-productive-writing-life-without/)

[Heidi Julavits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-julavits/)

> [First name: Mister; middle name: period; last name T.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-t/first-name-mister-middle-name-period-last-name-t/)

[Mr. T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-t/)

> [Periods are ridiculous I shouldnt be punished for not getting pregnant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marioly-guzman/periods-are-ridiculous-i-shouldnt-be-punished-for-not-getting-pregnant/)

[Marioly Guzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marioly-guzman/)

> [When people suffer, their relationships usually suffer as well. Period. And we all suffer because, as the Buddha says, that's the nature of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/when-people-suffer-their-relationships-usually-suffer-as-well-period/)

[Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/)

> [I remain, however, fairly optimistic for the future of period drama because it's just such a popular thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/i-remain-however-fairly-optimistic-for-the-future-of-period-drama/)

[Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/)

## 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 Bugs quotes

> [If you were to draw Bugs, the easiest way is to learn how to draw a carrot and then hook a rabbit onto it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-jones/if-you-were-to-draw-bugs-the-easiest-way-is-to-learn-how-to-draw-a/)

[Chuck Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-jones/)

> [I caught the acting bug from my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-wittrock/i-caught-the-acting-bug-from-my-dad/)

[Finn Wittrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-wittrock/)

> [I didnt write Snow White for any class, but I got bitten by the screenwriting bug and wrote a couple of scripts in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-daugherty/i-didnt-write-snow-white-for-any-class-but-i-got-bitten-by-the/)

[Evan Daugherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-daugherty/)

> [Think you a little din can daunt mine ears? Have I not in my time heard lions roar? Have I not heard the sea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/think-you-a-little-din-can-daunt-mine-ears-have-i-not-in-my-time/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Something that comes to us, some gym shoe that comes to us as a result of child labor from a brutal dictatorship, where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/something-that-comes-to-us-some-gym-shoe-that-comes-to-us-as-a-result/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [In politics, Bugs Bunny always beats Daffy Duck. Daffy's always going berserk, jumping up and down, yelling. Bugs's got that sly smile, like he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-greenfield/in-politics-bugs-bunny-always-beats-daffy-duck-daffy-s-always-going/)

[Jeff Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-greenfield/)

> [Look, it's terrible, I know, but weakness really, really bugs me, to the point that if there is a wounded bird on the sidewalk,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/look-it-s-terrible-i-know-but-weakness-really-really-bugs-me-to-the/)

[Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/)

> [“Bugs make you ill Aqua, not the cold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-l-searle/bugs-make-you-ill-aqua-not-the-cold/)

[T.L. Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-l-searle/)

> [I get a lot of stuff from Germany - stuffed bugs and tarantulas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-petersen/i-get-a-lot-of-stuff-from-germany-stuffed-bugs-and-tarantulas/)

[William Petersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-petersen/)

> [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/)

> [It's hard to describe to people how terrible it was when you could only watch cartoons at a certain time in your life. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hamm/it-s-hard-to-describe-to-people-how-terrible-it-was-when-you-could/)

[Jon Hamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hamm/)

> [It's true, I had hacked into a lot of companies, and took copies of the source code to analyze it for security bugs. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-true-i-had-hacked-into-a-lot-of-companies-and-took-copies-of-the/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> ['Botanicula' tells the story of a group of twigs, nuts, and leaves trying to escape with the life essence of a tree in tow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/botanicula-tells-the-story-of-a-group-of-twigs-nuts-and-leaves-trying/)

[Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/)

> [When I'm in New York, I bike everywhere. I have a couple of bikes stored over at Ed Norton's. It's the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-m-in-new-york-i-bike-everywhere-i-have-a-couple-of-bikes/)

[Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/)

> [In the good old days physicists repeated each other's experiments, just to be sure. Today they stick to FORTRAN, so that they can share…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/in-the-good-old-days-physicists-repeated-each-other-s-experiments/)

[Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/)

[Browse all 548 Bugs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bugs/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Every kid has a bug period... I never grew out of mine.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "E. O. Wilson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-never-grew-out-of-mine/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bugs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-never-grew-out-of-mine/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/e-o-wilson-1348_bugs_every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-never-grew_571193.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/e-o-wilson-1348_bugs_every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-never-grew_571193.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/e-o-wilson-1348_bugs_every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-never-grew_571193.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Every kid has a bug period... I never grew out of mine.” — E. O. Wilson",
                "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": "E. O. Wilson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Every kid has a bug period......",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-never-grew-out-of-mine/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/every-kid-has-a-bug-period-i-never-grew-out-of-mine/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
