--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've watched goldfish make babies, and…" description: "\"I've watched goldfish make babies, and ants execute earwigs. I've seen a fly deliver live young while having its head eaten by a mantis. And I had a go..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5df/n-d-wilson-2571_ants_i-ve-watched-goldfish-make-babies-and-an_2450554.png" --- # I've watched goldfish make babies, and ants execute… ![“I've watched goldfish make babies, and ants execute earwigs. I've seen a fly deliver live young while having its head eaten by a mantis. And I had a golden retriever behave like one.” quote by N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5df/n-d-wilson-2571_ants_i-ve-watched-goldfish-make-babies-and-an_2450554.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5df/n-d-wilson-2571_ants_i-ve-watched-goldfish-make-babies-and-an_2450554.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5df/n-d-wilson-2571_ants_i-ve-watched-goldfish-make-babies-and-an_2450554.png) > “I've watched goldfish make babies, and ants execute earwigs. I've seen a fly deliver live young while having its head eaten by a mantis. And I had a golden retriever behave like one.” [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator juxtaposes bizarre natural phenomena with a pet’s behavior, highlighting the strange and wondrous aspects of life. **In simple terms:** Strange animal behaviors illustrate life's oddities. Key Takeaway Embrace curiosity about nature’s quirks. Themes nature curiosity oddities human‑animal connection Mood wonderful thought‑provoking Type descriptive philosophical When to use this quote - observing wildlife - pet behavior - nature documentaries - science education Key Concepts biological oddities anthropomorphism wonder Questions to Reflect On - What does this reveal about our perception of nature? - How do we relate to animal behavior? A Different Perspective Focusing on oddities may overlook broader ecological contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Golden retrievers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golden-retrievers/) [Goldfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goldfish/) [Humorous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humorous/) [Live Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-young/) [Retrievers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retrievers/) ## Related quotes > [Yet, do thy worst, old Time; despite thy wrong, My love shall in my verse ever live young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yet-do-thy-worst-old-time-despite-thy-wrong-my-love-shall-in-my-verse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“It is almost unknown for a mammal in her normal environment to produce live young and be unable to produce the milk they need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/it-is-almost-unknown-for-a-mammal-in-her-normal-environment-to/) [Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/) > [Live while we're young...i'm forever young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/live-while-we-re-young-i-m-forever-young/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am too young to die, but tonight I must drown in this liquor bottle in this night and in your arms. I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/destiny/i-am-too-young-to-die-but-tonight-i-must-drown-in-this-liquor-bottle/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/destiny/) > [Too fast to live, too young to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/too-fast-to-live-too-young-to-die/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Live While We're Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanny-angel/live-while-we-re-young/) [Vanny Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanny-angel/) > [“Tonight let's get some, and live while were young”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-direction/tonight-let-s-get-some-and-live-while-were-young/) [One Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/one-direction/) > [I saw Fear perform live at a young age, so I guess you could say I draw from that same energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jpegmafia/i-saw-fear-perform-live-at-a-young-age-so-i-guess-you-could-say-i/) [JPEGMAFIA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jpegmafia/) > [I live young and I keep the weight off of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-foxx/i-live-young-and-i-keep-the-weight-off-of-me/) [Jamie Foxx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-foxx/) > [James Dean, you bought it sight unseen. You were too young to live, too young to die, bye-bye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-eagles/james-dean-you-bought-it-sight-unseen-you-were-too-young-to-live-too/) [The Eagles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-eagles/) > [The goal in life is to live young, have fun, and arrive at your final destination as late as possible, with a smile on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/the-goal-in-life-is-to-live-young-have-fun-and-arrive-at-your-final/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [“LIVE WHILE WERE YOUNG”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-direction/live-while-were-young/) [One Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/one-direction/) > [“Their souls—or maybe just our memories of them—belong to that place which even the dead can only dream of, the miraculous place from which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haley/their-souls-or-maybe-just-our-memories-of-them-belong-to-that-place/) Michael Haley > [Live while you're young !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-direction-boy-band/live-while-you-re-young/) One Direction Boy Band > [“Live young. Live hard. Love deep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-young/live-young-live-hard-love-deep/) [Samantha Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-young/) ## More by N.D. Wilson > [“But if that was going to happen, it was going to happen whether or not he worried about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/but-if-that-was-going-to-happen-it-was-going-to-happen-whether-or-not/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [“We haven't stopped running, but we are getting slower. We have little people running with us now. We have passed others. Our own people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/we-haven-t-stopped-running-but-we-are-getting-slower-we-have-little/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [Going where no man has gone before is more difficult than it sounds. Our cousins and ancestors were no less curious than we are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/going-where-no-man-has-gone-before-is-more-difficult-than-it-sounds/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [Plato, the first true pope of philosophy (sorry, Socrates), argued for a World of Forms above the reality-a transcendent plane of perfect essences, pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/plato-the-first-true-pope-of-philosophy-sorry-socrates-argued-for-a/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [“He was a man with eyebrows, or maybe they were eyebrows with a man. Ownership would have been hard to establish, and Cyrus couldn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/he-was-a-man-with-eyebrows-or-maybe-they-were-eyebrows-with-a-man/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [After three years down here, I've not learned too much. But one thing I do know is that our bellies aren't big enough for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-three-years-down-here-i-ve-not-learned-too-much-but-one-thing-i/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [Drink your wine. Laugh from your gut. Burden your moments with thankfulness. Be as empty as you can be when that clock winds down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/drink-your-wine-laugh-from-your-gut-burden-your-moments-with/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [If God gives you (or makes you) a joke, what are you meant to do in response? (Receive it. Laugh.) If God gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/if-god-gives-you-or-makes-you-a-joke-what-are-you-meant-to-do-in/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [“Infinite goes all the way up and all the way down; and at every level, with equal attention, He creates with the full dose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/infinite-goes-all-the-way-up-and-all-the-way-down-and-at-every-level/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [God is a God of galaxies, of storms, of roaring seas and boiling thunder, but He is also the God of bread baking, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/god-is-a-god-of-galaxies-of-storms-of-roaring-seas-and-boiling/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [The moon was up, painting the world silver, making things look just a little more alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/the-moon-was-up-painting-the-world-silver-making-things-look-just-a/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [The world is R-rated, and no one's checking IDs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/the-world-is-r-rated-and-no-one-s-checking-ids/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [We are narrative creatures, and we need narrative nourishment-nar rative catechisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/we-are-narrative-creatures-and-we-need-narrative-nourishment-nar/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [In Bright Shadow: C.S. Lewis on the Imagination for Theology and Discipleship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/in-bright-shadow-c-s-lewis-on-the-imagination-for-theology-and/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) [Explore all 160 N.D. Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) ## More Ants quotes > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [Great God of the Ants, thou hast granted victory to thy servants. I appoint thee honorary Colonel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-capek/great-god-of-the-ants-thou-hast-granted-victory-to-thy-servants-i/) [Karel Capek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-capek/) > [Pray look upon the plants and birds, the ants, spiders, and bees, and you will see them all exerting their nature, and busy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/pray-look-upon-the-plants-and-birds-the-ants-spiders-and-bees-and-you/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [People are like ants: Just a few of them give all the orders. And most of them spend their lives getting squashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/people-are-like-ants-just-a-few-of-them-give-all-the-orders-and-most/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [There's a good case to be made that having fun is a key evolutionary advantage right next to opposable thumbs in terms of importance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raph-koster/there-s-a-good-case-to-be-made-that-having-fun-is-a-key-evolutionary/) [Raph Koster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raph-koster/) > [“THE FIGHTERS ARE TINY. INSECTS, REALLY. BUT ANTS CAN SLAY AN ELEPHANT, IF THERE ARE ENOUGH OF THEM. ESPECIALLY ANTS ARMED WITH HIGH-YIELD EXPLOSIVES…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amie-kaufman/the-fighters-are-tiny-insects-really-but-ants-can-slay-an-elephant-if/) [Amie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amie-kaufman/) > [We know of no behavior in ants or any other social insects that can be construed as play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-holldobler/we-know-of-no-behavior-in-ants-or-any-other-social-insects-that-can/) [Bert Holldobler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-holldobler/) > [Oh, ants, my sisters, good old honeydew-seekers! From close up you are sticky and shiny and gristly; and your nymphs have parasitic red mites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/oh-ants-my-sisters-good-old-honeydew-seekers-from-close-up-you-are/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [When someone criticizes or disagrees with you, a small ant of hatred and antagonism is born in your heart. If you do not squash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/when-someone-criticizes-or-disagrees-with-you-a-small-ant-of-hatred/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Lies are like ants; there's never just one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-ash/lies-are-like-ants-there-s-never-just-one/) Julia Ash > [There's a scientific hypothesis that every person's name is a primary suggestive command that contains the entire script of their life in highly concentrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-pelevin/there-s-a-scientific-hypothesis-that-every-person-s-name-is-a-primary/) [Victor Pelevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-pelevin/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. But now that I'm older, I'm more of a cat guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-was-little-i-would-burn-ants-with-a-magnifying-glass-but-now/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [If ants were the size of humans, they would be able to run twice as fast as a Lamborghini.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-ants-were-the-size-of-humans-they-would-be-able-to-run-twice-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 499 Ants quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've watched goldfish make babies, and ants execute earwigs. I've seen a fly deliver live young while having its head eaten by a mantis. And I had a golden retriever behave like one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "N.D. Wilson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/i-ve-watched-goldfish-make-babies-and-ants-execute-earwigs-i-ve-seen/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ants" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/i-ve-watched-goldfish-make-babies-and-ants-execute-earwigs-i-ve-seen/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5df/n-d-wilson-2571_ants_i-ve-watched-goldfish-make-babies-and-an_2450554.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5df/n-d-wilson-2571_ants_i-ve-watched-goldfish-make-babies-and-an_2450554.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5df/n-d-wilson-2571_ants_i-ve-watched-goldfish-make-babies-and-an_2450554.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've watched goldfish make babies, and ants execute earwigs. I've seen a fly deliver live young while having…” — N.D. Wilson", "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": "N.D. Wilson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've watched goldfish make babies, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/i-ve-watched-goldfish-make-babies-and-ants-execute-earwigs-i-ve-seen/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/i-ve-watched-goldfish-make-babies-and-ants-execute-earwigs-i-ve-seen/#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 } } ] } ```