--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the eusocial [bee] hive, just a single…" description: "\"“In the eusocial [bee] hive, just a single wintering would result in being driven out for the greater good. And it may well be true that a bee can't re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/katherine-may-96669_compassion_in-the-eusocial-bee-hive-just-a-single-w_2546991.jpg" --- # In the eusocial \[bee\] hive, just a single wintering would… ![“In the eusocial [bee] hive, just a single wintering would result in being driven out for the greater good. And it may well be true that a bee can't recover. But a human can. We may rift through years in which we feel like a negative presence in the world, but we are capable of coming back again…” quote by Katherine May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/katherine-may-96669_compassion_in-the-eusocial-bee-hive-just-a-single-w_2546991.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/katherine-may-96669_compassion_in-the-eusocial-bee-hive-just-a-single-w_2546991.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/katherine-may-96669_compassion_in-the-eusocial-bee-hive-just-a-single-w_2546991.jpg) > ““In the eusocial \[bee\] hive, just a single wintering would result in being driven out for the greater good. And it may well be true that a bee can't recover. But a human can. We may rift through years in which we feel like a negative presence in the world, but we are capable of coming back again. We can return to family and friends not only restored but capable of bringing more than we brought before: greater wisdom, more compassion, an increased capacity to reach deep into our roots and know that we will find water.”” Katherine May ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans can recover from feeling like a burden, gaining wisdom and compassion to help others. **In simple terms:** People can bounce back stronger after hardship. Key Takeaway Embrace recovery and give back. Themes compassion growth recovery family community Mood reflective hopeful Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - family reunions - career setbacks - mental health counseling Key Concepts resilience self‑compassion emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - What personal resources help you heal? - How can you support others in recovery? A Different Perspective Recovery may be slow and not guaranteed for everyone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Connection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connection/) [Family and friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-and-friends/) [Greater good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater-good/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Restoration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restoration/) [Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winter/) ## Related quotes > [“Having somewhere to go is what we call home. Having someone to love, who loves us in return, is what we call family. Having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-rathore/having-somewhere-to-go-is-what-we-call-home-having-someone-to-love-2/) [Michelle Rathore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-rathore/) > [There are moments we return to, now and always. Family is like water - it has a memory of what it once filled, always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/there-are-moments-we-return-to-now-and-always-family-is-like-water-it-2/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [Abandon benevolence, discard duty, and people will return to the family ties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/abandon-benevolence-discard-duty-and-people-will-return-to-the-family/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Tuesday will be a tough night for me. It's like to return to the family who have not seen you for a long time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiano-ronaldo/tuesday-will-be-a-tough-night-for-me-it-s-like-to-return-to-the/) [Cristiano Ronaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiano-ronaldo/) > [“There are moments we return to, now and always. Family is like water--it has a memory of what it once filled, always trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/there-are-moments-we-return-to-now-and-always-family-is-like-water-it/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [But happiness isn't like unhappiness. You recover from it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-berteaut/but-happiness-isn-t-like-unhappiness-you-recover-from-it/) Simone Berteaut > [We want everyone to prepare themselves for the reality that we are not going to be able to recover significant numbers of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/we-want-everyone-to-prepare-themselves-for-the-reality-that-we-are/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [“To recover your life is within your power; simply view things again as once you viewed them, for your revival rests in that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/to-recover-your-life-is-within-your-power-simply-view-things-again-as/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [You can recover the truth of what you really are. When you finally see yourself as you are, when you finally take responsibility for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/you-can-recover-the-truth-of-what-you-really-are-when-you-finally-see/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) > [“When trust is broken, there is not any medicine to recover that again, as it was before, even you try hard to gain back”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehsan-sehgal/when-trust-is-broken-there-is-not-any-medicine-to-recover-that-again/) [Ehsan Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehsan-sehgal/) > [In this kind of situation, we tend to cling to his convictions, we believe that, by magic, we are going to recover. Then we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacky-ickx/in-this-kind-of-situation-we-tend-to-cling-to-his-convictions-we/) [Jacky Ickx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacky-ickx/) > [“There's a hard law, mejuffrou, that when a deep injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/there-s-a-hard-law-mejuffrou-that-when-a-deep-injury-is-done-to-us-we/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [“I don't know how to recover from this...from you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-sterling/i-don-t-know-how-to-recover-from-this-from-you/) [J. Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-sterling/) > [When you're young, you've got plenty of time to recover from your mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/when-you-re-young-you-ve-got-plenty-of-time-to-recover-from-your/) [John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/) > [There are 4 things you can never recover: The STONE, after the throw. The WORD, after it's said. The OCCASION, after it's missed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerhia/there-are-4-things-you-can-never-recover-the-stone-after-the-throw/) [Jerhia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerhia/) ## More by Katherine May > [“I think I'm beginning to understand that the quest is the point. Our sense of enchantment is not triggered only by grand things; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-may/i-think-i-m-beginning-to-understand-that-the-quest-is-the-point-our/) Katherine May Explore all 2 Katherine May quotes ## More Compassion quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) Segun Magbagbeola > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“Helpers in every corner, helpers in every hood. That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/) Talib al Habib > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) [Browse all 9,892 Compassion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In the eusocial [bee] hive, just a single wintering would result in being driven out for the greater good. 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