--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We kill all the caterpillars, then…" description: "\"We kill all the caterpillars, then complain there are no butterflies.\" — John Marsden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/john-marsden-3782_butterflies_we-kill-all-the-caterpillars-then-compla_1671328.png" --- # We kill all the caterpillars, then complain there are no… ![“We kill all the caterpillars, then complain there are no butterflies.” quote by John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/john-marsden-3782_butterflies_we-kill-all-the-caterpillars-then-compla_1671328.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/john-marsden-3782_butterflies_we-kill-all-the-caterpillars-then-compla_1671328.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/john-marsden-3782_butterflies_we-kill-all-the-caterpillars-then-compla_1671328.png) > “We kill all the caterpillars, then complain there are no butterflies.” [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Eliminating potential leads to loss of future beauty. **In simple terms:** Killing caterpillars prevents butterflies. Key Takeaway Protect nascent possibilities. Themes environment growth potential Mood concerned thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - conservation - education - policy making Key Concepts ecology metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What “caterpillars” are you overlooking? - How can you nurture future outcomes? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Butterflies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/butterflies/) [Butterfly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/butterfly/) ## Related quotes > [We crush the caterpillars then complain there are no butterflies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-crush-the-caterpillars-then-complain-there-are-no-butterflies/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You crush the Caterpillars, but then complain when there's no Butterflys...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-watson/you-crush-the-caterpillars-but-then-complain-when-there-s-no/) [Toni Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-watson/) > [“Caterpillars can fly, if they just lighten up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-j-simmerman-ph-d/caterpillars-can-fly-if-they-just-lighten-up/) Scott J. Simmerman Ph.D > [God changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls and coal into diamonds using time and pressure. He's working on you, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/god-changes-caterpillars-into-butterflies-sand-into-pearls-and-coal/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [“Never step on caterpillars, as one day, they'll become butterflies and you'll never know when you'll need a ride on its wings of fortune.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-p-falconer/never-step-on-caterpillars-as-one-day-they-ll-become-butterflies-and-2/) R.P. Falconer > [“Never step on caterpillars, as one day they'll become butterflies, and you'll never know when you'll need a ride on their wings of fortune.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-p-falconer/never-step-on-caterpillars-as-one-day-they-ll-become-butterflies-and/) R.P. Falconer > [Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/well-i-must-endure-the-presence-of-a-few-caterpillars-if-i-wish-to/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [It is all too common for caterpillars to become butterflies and then to maintain that in their youth they had been little butterflies. Maturation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/it-is-all-too-common-for-caterpillars-to-become-butterflies-and-then/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [Caterpillars are ugly looking creatures, but when they are transformed into butterflies, what an awesome transformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-wetherill/caterpillars-are-ugly-looking-creatures-but-when-they-are-transformed/) Jacqueline Wetherill > [“I think that positivity— real positivity— is like the butterflies. The whole essence of the butterfly: caterpillar, cocoon, winged creature. When I look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/i-think-that-positivity-real-positivity-is-like-the-butterflies-the/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [“Where there are no caterpillars there are no butterflies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/where-there-are-no-caterpillars-there-are-no-butterflies/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [We make butterflies by feeding caterpillars, not by trying to paste wings on them. Kids need to like themselves the way they are, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hart/we-make-butterflies-by-feeding-caterpillars-not-by-trying-to-paste/) [Louise Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hart/) > [“Well, I must endure the presence of two or three caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies. It seems that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/well-i-must-endure-the-presence-of-two-or-three-caterpillars-if-i/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“There is no end of wonders and mysteries: fireflies and music boxes, the stars that outnumber all the grains of sand on all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/there-is-no-end-of-wonders-and-mysteries-fireflies-and-music-boxes/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“But do you ever see butterflies hanging out with caterpillars? No you don’t. They’ve nothing in common.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leather/but-do-you-ever-see-butterflies-hanging-out-with-caterpillars-no-you/) [Stephen Leather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leather/) ## More by John Marsden > [“I make people uncomfortable. The kind ones get angry because their kindness doesn't work. The unkind ones get angry because they think I'm attacking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/i-make-people-uncomfortable-the-kind-ones-get-angry-because-their/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [So, that was Nature's way. The mosquito felt pain and panic but the dragonfly knew nothing of cruelty. Humans would call it evil, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/so-that-was-nature-s-way-the-mosquito-felt-pain-and-panic-but-the/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“We'll never feel safe again, and so it's bye-bye innocence. It's been nice knowing you, but you're gone now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-ll-never-feel-safe-again-and-so-it-s-bye-bye-innocence-it-s-been/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [My pen.’ Funny, I wrote that without noticing. ‘The torch’, ‘the paper’, but ‘my pen’. That shows what writing means to me, I guess.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/my-pen-funny-i-wrote-that-without-noticing-the-torch-the-paper-but-my/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“Life’s about a hell of a lot more than being happy. It’s about feeling the full range of stuff: happiness, sadness, anger, grief, love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-about-a-hell-of-a-lot-more-than-being-happy-it-s-about-feeling/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/ask-for-forgiveness-not-permission/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“I lay there with my mind running amuck, on the brink of madness. And somehow, gradually, early Sunday morning, I became calm. I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/i-lay-there-with-my-mind-running-amuck-on-the-brink-of-madness-and/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“In this life of froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone. Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/in-this-life-of-froth-and-bubble-two-things-stand-like-stone-kindness/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“There’s life in his face again. It occurs to me that this is the best thing I could have done, it’s actually a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/there-s-life-in-his-face-again-it-occurs-to-me-that-this-is-the-best/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [Life's about a hell of a lot more than being happy. It's about feeling the full range of stuff: happiness, sadness, anger, grief, love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-about-a-hell-of-a-lot-more-than-being-happy-it-s-about-feeling-2/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“It'd be funny if one of them was called Gavin. Funny but irrelevant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/it-d-be-funny-if-one-of-them-was-called-gavin-funny-but-irrelevant/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [When you're scared you can either give in to the panic and let your mind fall apart, or you can take charge of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/when-you-re-scared-you-can-either-give-in-to-the-panic-and-let-your/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“Cynicism is like gastro: it goes through your whole system and makes you shitty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/cynicism-is-like-gastro-it-goes-through-your-whole-system-and-makes/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [It seems like suffering's the only time we can see what's essential. If peace ever comes back I'm making a vow: I'll design myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/it-seems-like-suffering-s-the-only-time-we-can-see-what-s-essential/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“But somehow, standing in the clear night air, under a sky that glowed like a shower of sparks, none of that stuff mattered. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/but-somehow-standing-in-the-clear-night-air-under-a-sky-that-glowed/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) [Explore all 121 John Marsden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) ## More Butterflies quotes > [The beginning of love is all about the butterflies, but the end of it is when you can't get out of bed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/the-beginning-of-love-is-all-about-the-butterflies-but-the-end-of-it/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [“When he stops giving you butterflies, Love dies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-blanchard/when-he-stops-giving-you-butterflies-love-dies/) Michelle Blanchard > [“I look over at the man in question and just the sight of him gives me butterflies.  No, not butterflies.  Butterflies don’t quite do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-herrera/i-look-over-at-the-man-in-question-and-just-the-sight-of-him-gives-me/) [Devon Herrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-herrera/) > [“This time of year, the purple blooms were busy with life- not just the bees, but butterflies and ladybugs, skippers and emerald-toned beetles, flitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wiggs/this-time-of-year-the-purple-blooms-were-busy-with-life-not-just-the/) [Susan Wiggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wiggs/) > [I wish that I could be with you tonight, you give me butterflies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-that-i-could-be-with-you-tonight-you-give-me-butterflies/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everytime I talk to a special person I get butterflies¥~](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everytime-i-talk-to-a-special-person-i-get-butterflies/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Butterflies don't know the color of their wings, but human eyes know how nice it is... Like wise you don't know 'how good you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thanisha/butterflies-don-t-know-the-color-of-their-wings-but-human-eyes-know/) Thanisha > [I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free. Mankind will surely not deny to Harold Skimpole what it concedes to the butterflies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-only-ask-to-be-free-the-butterflies-are-free-mankind-will-surely/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I've always loved butterflies, because they remind us that it's never too late to transform ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/i-ve-always-loved-butterflies-because-they-remind-us-that-it-s-never/) [Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/) > [“We all get butterflies Peter, it’s just a question of teaching them to fly in formation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-rosengard/we-all-get-butterflies-peter-it-s-just-a-question-of-teaching-them-to/) Peter Rosengard > [I'm not a bug person, but something about butterflies I can handle because they're kind of cute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/i-m-not-a-bug-person-but-something-about-butterflies-i-can-handle/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [“You’re beautiful and charming, and I can’t stop thinking about last night.” No, he didn’t say that. Not exactly, anyway. What Sarah heard was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-re-beautiful-and-charming-and-i-can-t-stop-thinking-about-last/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“Chasing dreams is like chasing butterflies on an open field — the beauty is in the running, not the catching”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-j-forde/chasing-dreams-is-like-chasing-butterflies-on-an-open-field-the/) [Charmaine J Forde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-j-forde/) > [“Drake: "I know it;s love because I think of you night and day. I miss you when you are sitting right next to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-k-lewis/drake-i-know-it-s-love-because-i-think-of-you-night-and-day-i-miss/) L.K. Lewis > [“The most beautiful of butterflies is nothing but a well-dressed caterpillar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corina-abdulahm-negura/the-most-beautiful-of-butterflies-is-nothing-but-a-well-dressed/) Corina Abdulahm Negura [Browse all 423 Butterflies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/butterflies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We kill all the caterpillars, then complain there are no butterflies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Marsden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-kill-all-the-caterpillars-then-complain-there-are-no-butterflies/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Butterflies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-kill-all-the-caterpillars-then-complain-there-are-no-butterflies/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/john-marsden-3782_butterflies_we-kill-all-the-caterpillars-then-compla_1671328.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/john-marsden-3782_butterflies_we-kill-all-the-caterpillars-then-compla_1671328.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7d/john-marsden-3782_butterflies_we-kill-all-the-caterpillars-then-compla_1671328.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We kill all the caterpillars, then complain there are no butterflies.” — John Marsden", "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": "John Marsden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We kill all the caterpillars, then...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-kill-all-the-caterpillars-then-complain-there-are-no-butterflies/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-kill-all-the-caterpillars-then-complain-there-are-no-butterflies/#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 } } ] } ```