Time Quote by John McPhee
““Now, at Suiattle Pass, Brower was still talking about butterflies. He said he had raised them from time to time and had often watched them emerge from the chrysalis--first a crack in the case, then a feeler, and in an hour a butterfly. He said he had felt that he wanted to help, to speed them through the long and awkward procedure; and he had once tried. The butterflies came out with extended abdomens, and their wings were balled together like miniature clenched fists. Nothing happened. They sat there until they died. 'I have never gotten over that,' he said. 'That kind of information is all over in the country, but it's not in town.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Butterfly Effect", 1995
Attempting to accelerate natural processes without understanding can cause harm; patience respects natural timing.
In simple terms: Rushing nature can damage it.
Key Takeaway
Respect natural development.
Themes
patience
nature
intervention
Mood
reflective
cautionary
Type
inspirational
environmental
When to use this quote
- conservation projects
- education
- personal development
Key Concepts
ecology
growth cycles
Questions to Reflect On
- What processes need patience?
- How do we balance help with natural order?
A Different Perspective
Speeding up may produce malformed outcomes.
![“It was the cool gray dawn, and there was a delicious sense of repose and peace in the deep pervading calm and silence of the woods. Not a leaf stirred; not a sound obtruded upon great Nature's meditation [...] Gradually the cool dim gray of the morning whitened, and as gradually sounds multiplied…” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ae6/mark-twain-22_discovery_it-was-the-cool-gray-dawn-and-there-was_2202964.jpg)
