--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everybody knows what a caterpillar is…" description: "\"Everybody knows what a caterpillar is, and it doesn't look anything like a butterfly.\" — Lynn Margulis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/lynn-margulis-17073_anything_everybody-knows-what-a-caterpillar-is-an_3005347.png" --- # Everybody knows what a caterpillar is, and it doesn't look… ![“Everybody knows what a caterpillar is, and it doesn't look anything like a butterfly.” quote by Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/lynn-margulis-17073_anything_everybody-knows-what-a-caterpillar-is-an_3005347.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/lynn-margulis-17073_anything_everybody-knows-what-a-caterpillar-is-an_3005347.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/lynn-margulis-17073_anything_everybody-knows-what-a-caterpillar-is-an_3005347.png) > “Everybody knows what a caterpillar is, and it doesn't look anything like a butterfly.” [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The transformation from caterpillar to butterfly is a profound change, yet the initial form bears little resemblance to the final one. **In simple terms:** Caterpillars become butterflies, despite looks. Key Takeaway Embrace radical change and growth. Themes biology metamorphosis transformation identity evolution Mood inspirational hopeful Type biological philosophical When to use this quote - Personal growth - career transition - education reform - product redesign Key Concepts Developmental biology philosophy of change Questions to Reflect On - What transformations are you resisting? - How can you recognize early signs of change? A Different Perspective Change can be unsettling and hard to recognize initially. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Butterfly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/butterfly/) [Caterpillar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caterpillar/) ## Related quotes > [If a caterpillar doesn't know its future has wings, it hardly experiences itself as land-bound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/if-a-caterpillar-doesn-t-know-its-future-has-wings-it-hardly/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [The air is like a butterfly With frail blue wings. The happy earth looks at the sky And sings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-kilmer/the-air-is-like-a-butterfly-with-frail-blue-wings-the-happy-earth/) [Joyce Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-kilmer/) > [Like a butterfly stuck in a chrysalis, waiting for the perfect moment, I was waiting for the day I could burst forth and fly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/like-a-butterfly-stuck-in-a-chrysalis-waiting-for-the-perfect-moment/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To Beatrice- My love flew like a butterfly Until death swooped down like a bat As the poet Emma Montana McElroy said: 'That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-beatrice-my-love-flew-like-a-butterfly-until-death-swooped-down/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Now I’m floating like a butterfly Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes I went from zero, to my own hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/now-i-m-floating-like-a-butterfly-stinging-like-a-bee-i-earned-my/) [Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/) > [Happiness is like a butterfly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/happiness-is-like-a-butterfly/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [In our minds we tried to pin her to a corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/in-our-minds-we-tried-to-pin-her-to-a-corkboard-like-a-butterfly-but/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [They say I'm famous for my chip shots. Sure, when I hit 'em right, they land just so, like a butterfly with sore feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-trevino/they-say-i-m-famous-for-my-chip-shots-sure-when-i-hit-em-right-they/) [Lee Trevino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-trevino/) > [We gon' float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. AH! Rumble, young man rumble! AH!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-bundini-brown/we-gon-float-like-a-butterfly-sting-like-a-bee-ah-rumble-young-man/) Drew Bundini Brown > [True beauty of dress consists in its simplicity . . . What do these devotees of fashion gain? Only the satisfaction of being admired, like a butterfly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/true-beauty-of-dress-consists-in-its-simplicity-what-do-these/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [Read like a butterfly, write like a bee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/read-like-a-butterfly-write-like-a-bee/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/love-is-like-a-butterfly-a-rare-and-gentle-thing/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [Life is like a butterfly. You can chase, or you can let it come to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-brown/life-is-like-a-butterfly-you-can-chase-or-you-can-let-it-come-to-you/) [Ruth Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-brown/) > [You've got to be like a butterfly and have a metamorphosis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-markkula/you-ve-got-to-be-like-a-butterfly-and-have-a-metamorphosis/) [Mike Markkula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-markkula/) > [She was like a butterfly, full of color and vibrancy when she chose to open her wings, yet hardly visible when she closed them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/she-was-like-a-butterfly-full-of-color-and-vibrancy-when-she-chose-to/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) ## More by Lynn Margulis > [My work more than didn't fit in. It crossed willy-nilly the boundaries that people had spent their lives building up. It hits some 30…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/my-work-more-than-didn-t-fit-in-it-crossed-willy-nilly-the-boundaries/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [“Natural selection eliminates and maybe maintains, but it doesn't create... Neo-Darwinists say that new species emerge when mutations occur and modify an organism. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/natural-selection-eliminates-and-maybe-maintains-but-it-doesn-t/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [“Possibly here in the Holocene, or just before ten or twenty thousand years ago, life hit a peek of diversity. Then we appeared. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/possibly-here-in-the-holocene-or-just-before-ten-or-twenty-thousand/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [“New mutations don't create new species; they create offspring that are impaired.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/new-mutations-don-t-create-new-species-they-create-offspring-that-are/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [All scientists agree that evolution has occurred-that all life comes from a common ancestry, that there has been extinction, and that new taxa, new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/all-scientists-agree-that-evolution-has-occurred-that-all-life-comes/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [I was taught over and over again that the accumulation of random mutations led to evolutionary change - led to new species. I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/i-was-taught-over-and-over-again-that-the-accumulation-of-random/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [Evolution is no linear family tree, but change in the single multidimensional being that has grown to cover the entire surface of Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/evolution-is-no-linear-family-tree-but-change-in-the-single/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [We are unconscious of most of our body's processes, thank goodness, because we'd screw it up if we weren't. The human body is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/we-are-unconscious-of-most-of-our-body-s-processes-thank-goodness/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [People say I am against Darwin. That is ridiculous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/people-say-i-am-against-darwin-that-is-ridiculous/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [The urgency to mate persists in all people as in all other mammals because of the evolutionary drive to continue the species, the inborn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/the-urgency-to-mate-persists-in-all-people-as-in-all-other-mammals/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [Why does everybody agree that atmospheric oxygen comes from life, but no one speaks about the other gases coming from life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/why-does-everybody-agree-that-atmospheric-oxygen-comes-from-life-but/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [The fewer species there are and the fewer species we know about, the fewer questions we even know to ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/the-fewer-species-there-are-and-the-fewer-species-we-know-about-the/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [Life on earth is such a good story you cannot afford to miss the beginning... Beneath our superficial differences we are all of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/life-on-earth-is-such-a-good-story-you-cannot-afford-to-miss-the/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [The idea that we are "stewards of the earth" is another symptom of human arrogance. Imagine yourself with the task of overseeing your body's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/the-idea-that-we-are-stewards-of-the-earth-is-another-symptom-of/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [The notion of saving the planet has nothing to do with intellectual honesty or science. The fact is that the planet was here long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/the-notion-of-saving-the-planet-has-nothing-to-do-with-intellectual/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) [Explore all 38 Lynn Margulis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) ## More Anything quotes > [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/) [Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/) > [I would give anything to be able to kick a ball with my son or read the kids a bedtime story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-burrow/i-would-give-anything-to-be-able-to-kick-a-ball-with-my-son-or-read/) [Rob Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-burrow/) > [Comfort food is really anything you want at that time. That said, I really love Naple-style pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/comfort-food-is-really-anything-you-want-at-that-time-that-said-i/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [When it really comes down to it, the job you do is more important and is more representative of who you are than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-it-really-comes-down-to-it-the-job-you-do-is-more-important-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/) [Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/) > [We live in such a special time when literally anything we can think of is possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-willey/we-live-in-such-a-special-time-when-literally-anything-we-can-think/) [Daniel Willey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-willey/) > [You know, I'm from Baltimore; nobody has anything. When somebody had talent, I was hiring my uncle, my cousin, you know? Getting people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/you-know-i-m-from-baltimore-nobody-has-anything-when-somebody-had/) [Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/) > [I said to my agent, 'I want short, sharp, well-paid jobs because I haven't got time for anything else.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-whitelaw/i-said-to-my-agent-i-want-short-sharp-well-paid-jobs-because-i-haven/) [Billie Whitelaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-whitelaw/) > [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [If the Bible is correct, and the Earth is only 6,000 years old, that means there were no dinosaurs, and museum curators have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/if-the-bible-is-correct-and-the-earth-is-only-6-000-years-old-that/) [Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/) > [Don't do anything drastic like getting your eyebrows tattooed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/don-t-do-anything-drastic-like-getting-your-eyebrows-tattooed/) [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) > [Whenever you define family as anything other than a man and a woman married together, you have just introduced an ethical nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/whenever-you-define-family-as-anything-other-than-a-man-and-a-woman/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) Browse all 9,437 Anything quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everybody knows what a caterpillar is, and it doesn't look anything like a butterfly.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lynn Margulis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/everybody-knows-what-a-caterpillar-is-and-it-doesn-t-look-anything/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anything" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/everybody-knows-what-a-caterpillar-is-and-it-doesn-t-look-anything/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/lynn-margulis-17073_anything_everybody-knows-what-a-caterpillar-is-an_3005347.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/lynn-margulis-17073_anything_everybody-knows-what-a-caterpillar-is-an_3005347.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/lynn-margulis-17073_anything_everybody-knows-what-a-caterpillar-is-an_3005347.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everybody knows what a caterpillar is, and it doesn't look anything like a butterfly.” — Lynn Margulis", "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": "Lynn Margulis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Everybody knows what a caterpillar is,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/everybody-knows-what-a-caterpillar-is-and-it-doesn-t-look-anything/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/everybody-knows-what-a-caterpillar-is-and-it-doesn-t-look-anything/#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 } } ] } ```