--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes human beings are very much like…" description: "\"Sometimes human beings are very much like bees. Bees are fiercely protective of their hive, provided you are outside it. Once you’re in, the workers so..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/neil-gaiman-29_assuming_sometimes-human-beings-are-very-much-lik_2298714.jpg" --- # Sometimes human beings are very much like bees. Bees are… ![“Sometimes human beings are very much like bees. Bees are fiercely protective of their hive, provided you are outside it. Once you’re in, the workers sort of assume that it must have been cleared by management and take no notice; various freeloading insects have evolved a mellifluous existence…” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/neil-gaiman-29_assuming_sometimes-human-beings-are-very-much-lik_2298714.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/neil-gaiman-29_assuming_sometimes-human-beings-are-very-much-lik_2298714.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/neil-gaiman-29_assuming_sometimes-human-beings-are-very-much-lik_2298714.jpg) > “Sometimes human beings are very much like bees. Bees are fiercely protective of their hive, provided you are outside it. Once you’re in, the workers sort of assume that it must have been cleared by management and take no notice; various freeloading insects have evolved a mellifluous existence because of this very fact. Humans act the same way.” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People protect their own groups, but outsiders may exploit that protection, leading to freeloaders. **In simple terms:** Groups guard insiders, outsiders can take advantage. Key Takeaway Be aware of group dynamics and exploitation. Themes social behavior group dynamics exploitation Mood cautious analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - workplace - online communities - neighborhoods - political parties - clubs Key Concepts sociology evolutionary biology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance protection with openness? - When does loyalty become blind? A Different Perspective Not all groups are equally protective; some are inclusive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bees/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Insects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insects/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [There's an interdependence between flowers and bees. Where there are no flowers there are no bees, and where there are no bees, there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/there-s-an-interdependence-between-flowers-and-bees-where-there-are/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [Everyone should have two or three hives of bees. Bees are easier to keep than a dog or a cat. They are more interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/everyone-should-have-two-or-three-hives-of-bees-bees-are-easier-to/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [We live in a dancing matrix of viruses; they dart, rather like bees, from organism to organism, from plant to insect to mammal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-live-in-a-dancing-matrix-of-viruses-they-dart-rather-like-bees/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [Harers can be make like bees, with no stingers and drop dead !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/harers-can-be-make-like-bees-with-no-stingers-and-drop-dead/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [Teenagers are like bees at night, I think. We don't like waking up and we don't always get with the program immediately, but once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/teenagers-are-like-bees-at-night-i-think-we-don-t-like-waking-up-and/) [Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/) > [Like bees around honey. Why are bees so attracted to honey, since they make it? It can only be vanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-munnery/like-bees-around-honey-why-are-bees-so-attracted-to-honey-since-they/) [Simon Munnery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-munnery/) > [Watch yourself all your life in a mirror and you'll see Death at work like bees in a glass hive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/watch-yourself-all-your-life-in-a-mirror-and-you-ll-see-death-at-work/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [There is a number among us, young and old, of all sorts almost among us, that swarm up and down towns, and woods, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-shepard/there-is-a-number-among-us-young-and-old-of-all-sorts-almost-among-us/) Thomas Shepard > [Rumor is like bees; the more you fight them the more you don't get rid of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/rumor-is-like-bees-the-more-you-fight-them-the-more-you-don-t-get-rid/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Only flies have true halteres. 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It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. For some days the needle had been over in the red, occasionally banging jerkily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/like-all-sentient-beings-fat-charlie-had-a-weirdness-quotient-for/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Shadow crawled across the floor to the yellow foam-rubber pad and climbed onto it, pulling the thin blanket over himself, and closed his eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/shadow-crawled-across-the-floor-to-the-yellow-foam-rubber-pad-and/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [ “\[T\]hey could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/t-hey-could-not-help-being-amused-every-time-another-little-human/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [So many things to see, people to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/so-many-things-to-see-people-to-do/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ – Ben Franklin,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/three-may-keep-a-secret-if-two-of-them-are-dead-ben-franklin/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. 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Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“The quickest way is sometimes the longest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-quickest-way-is-sometimes-the-longest/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“They were spells, spelled with words to make worlds, waiting for me, in the pages of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-spells-spelled-with-words-to-make-worlds-waiting-for-me-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [What do stars do? They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. Where you are is nothing and nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/eyes-will-not-see-you-minds-will-not-hold-you-where-you-are-is/) [neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Explore all 2,526 Neil Gaiman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More Assuming quotes > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/) [Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes human beings are very much like bees. Bees are fiercely protective of their hive, provided you are outside it. Once you’re in, the workers sort of assume that it must have been cleared by management and take no notice; various freeloading insects have evolved a mellifluous existence because of this very fact. 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