--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The flies have conquered the flypaper." description: "\"“The flies have conquered the flypaper.”\" — John Steinbeck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/john-steinbeck-71_war_the-flies-have-conquered-the-flypaper-12_1207680.jpg" --- # The flies have conquered the flypaper. ![“The flies have conquered the flypaper.” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/john-steinbeck-71_war_the-flies-have-conquered-the-flypaper-12_1207680.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/john-steinbeck-71_war_the-flies-have-conquered-the-flypaper-12_1207680.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/john-steinbeck-71_war_the-flies-have-conquered-the-flypaper-12_1207680.jpg) > ““The flies have conquered the flypaper.”” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even the smallest creatures can dominate their environment when unchecked. **In simple terms:** Small things can become overwhelming if uncontrolled. Key Takeaway Control small problems before they grow. Themes power control environment Mood pragmatic concerned Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - pest control - organizational management - personal habits Key Concepts ecology metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What small problem have you ignored? - How can you prevent minor issues from escalating? A Different Perspective Neglecting minor issues leads to larger problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conquered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquered/) [Conquered Flypaper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquered-flypaper-3647455/) [Flies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flies/) [Flies Conquered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flies-conquered-3647456/) [Flypaper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flypaper-2991975/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“The Mayor spoke proudly. 'Yes, they will light it. I have no choice of living or dying, you see, sir, but—I do have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-mayor-spoke-proudly-yes-they-will-light-it-i-have-no-choice-of/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Flies conquer the flypaper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/flies-conquer-the-flypaper/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/what-am-i-flypaper-for-freaks/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“The inertia is as thick and sticky as flypaper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-belle/the-inertia-is-as-thick-and-sticky-as-flypaper/) [Kimberly Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-belle/) > [“The very best people are like that. They don’t entangle you like flypaper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/the-very-best-people-are-like-that-they-don-t-entangle-you-like/) [Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/) > [Why, lies are like a sticky juice overspreading the world, a living, growing flypaper to catch and gum the wings of every human soul.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dos-passos/why-lies-are-like-a-sticky-juice-overspreading-the-world-a-living/) [John Dos Passos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dos-passos/) > [“And then my grandfather explained -in his language- that utopias are not for mortals. 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The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) ## More by John Steinbeck > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Prayer never brought in no side-meat. Takes a shoat to bring in pork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/prayer-never-brought-in-no-side-meat-takes-a-shoat-to-bring-in-pork/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“And now submarines are armed with mass murder, our silly, only way of deterring mass murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/and-now-submarines-are-armed-with-mass-murder-our-silly-only-way-of/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“I’d think there are degrees of greatness,” Adam said. “I don’t think so,” said Samuel. “That would be like saying there is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-d-think-there-are-degrees-of-greatness-adam-said-i-don-t-think-so/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“He was forever inventing a new way of doing an old thing and doing it better and quicker, but he never in his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/he-was-forever-inventing-a-new-way-of-doing-an-old-thing-and-doing-it/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“You come back a changed man. Samuel, you don’t change him. He changes you. I can see the look of him in your face.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/you-come-back-a-changed-man-samuel-you-don-t-change-him-he-changes/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I find out of long experience that I admire all nations and hate all governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-find-out-of-long-experience-that-i-admire-all-nations-and-hate-all/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Who in his mind has not probe the dark water?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/who-in-his-mind-has-not-probe-the-dark-water/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. 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In Yurrp writers are taken as seriously as Lana Turner's legs are in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-am-writing-this-from-what-we-americans-call-yurrp-in-yurrp-writers/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I write because I like to write. I find joy in the texture and tone and rhythm of words. It is a satisfaction like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-write-because-i-like-to-write-i-find-joy-in-the-texture-and-tone/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Explore all 1,589 John Steinbeck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More Conquered quotes > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/defeat-furnishes-good-material-to-the-poets-and-the-artists-but-none/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [“We were thinking, we have conquered time but, ‘HE’ replied in 2020.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajesh-walecha/we-were-thinking-we-have-conquered-time-but-he-replied-in-2020/) [Rajesh Walecha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajesh-walecha/) > [My honour was not yielded, but conquered merely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleopatra/my-honour-was-not-yielded-but-conquered-merely/) [Cleopatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleopatra/) > [The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-essential-thing-is-not-to-have-conquered-but-to-have-fought-well/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [Of course, mankind would not have landed on the Moon in 1969, were it not for two things: conquered Nazi rocket technology and post-war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duke/of-course-mankind-would-not-have-landed-on-the-moon-in-1969-were-it/) [Charles Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duke/) > [I came, I saw, I conquered From record sales to sold out concerts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-came-i-saw-i-conquered-from-record-sales-to-sold-out-concerts/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Like us many have spoken over this spring, but they were gone in the twinkling of an eye. We conquered the world with bravery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babur/like-us-many-have-spoken-over-this-spring-but-they-were-gone-in-the/) [Babur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babur/) > [“Life was terrible. It was as though they could understand, as though they could read in one another’s eyes, that the power which had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/life-was-terrible-it-was-as-though-they-could-understand-as-though/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [When the enemies' land force is once conquered and expelled from the continent, our Marine will rise as if by enchantment and become, within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-jones/when-the-enemies-land-force-is-once-conquered-and-expelled-from-the/) [John Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-jones/) > [Do not ever go back to that from which decided to leave. As much as you did not ask, and how would you not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/do-not-ever-go-back-to-that-from-which-decided-to-leave-as-much-as/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [Addiction is rarely conquered alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/addiction-is-rarely-conquered-alone/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [“Boy, there are people who conquered half the world, slaughtered whole populations, wiped cultures off the face of the planet, and you know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-maberry/boy-there-are-people-who-conquered-half-the-world-slaughtered-whole/) [Jonathan Maberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-maberry/) > [A nation is not conquered which is perpetually to be conquered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/a-nation-is-not-conquered-which-is-perpetually-to-be-conquered/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Only through time time is conquered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-through-time-time-is-conquered/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 256 Conquered quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquered/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The flies have conquered the flypaper.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Steinbeck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-flies-have-conquered-the-flypaper/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conquered" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-flies-have-conquered-the-flypaper/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/john-steinbeck-71_war_the-flies-have-conquered-the-flypaper-12_1207680.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/john-steinbeck-71_war_the-flies-have-conquered-the-flypaper-12_1207680.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/john-steinbeck-71_war_the-flies-have-conquered-the-flypaper-12_1207680.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The flies have conquered the flypaper.” — John Steinbeck", "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 Steinbeck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The flies have conquered the flypaper.”", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-flies-have-conquered-the-flypaper/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-flies-have-conquered-the-flypaper/#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 } } ] } ```