--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But when I see a black widow, I step on…" description: "\"“But when I see a black widow, I step on it; I don’t plead with it to be a good little spider and please stop poisoning people.”\" — Robert A. Heinlein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/robert-a-heinlein-209_black-widow_but-when-i-see-a-black-widow-i-step-on-i_1298357.jpg" --- # But when I see a black widow, I step on it; I don’t plead… ![“But when I see a black widow, I step on it; I don’t plead with it to be a good little spider and please stop poisoning people.” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/robert-a-heinlein-209_black-widow_but-when-i-see-a-black-widow-i-step-on-i_1298357.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/robert-a-heinlein-209_black-widow_but-when-i-see-a-black-widow-i-step-on-i_1298357.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/robert-a-heinlein-209_black-widow_but-when-i-see-a-black-widow-i-step-on-i_1298357.jpg) > ““But when I see a black widow, I step on it; I don’t plead with it to be a good little spider and please stop poisoning people.”” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker kills a dangerous spider rather than trying to reason with it, emphasizing decisive action over futile persuasion. **In simple terms:** Kill dangerous threats instead of pleading with them. Key Takeaway Take decisive action against clear threats. Themes ethics danger decisiveness Mood serious reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - pest control - personal safety - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts moral calculus risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - When is lethal action justified? - What alternatives exist for neutralizing danger? A Different Perspective Some may argue for humane treatment even of threats. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black widow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-widow/) [Spider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spider/) [Widow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/widow/) ## Related quotes > [“By the ancient bond of the spellclave, I command you, Spider. Stop, or be turned to stone!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-roberts/by-the-ancient-bond-of-the-spellclave-i-command-you-spider-stop-or-be/) Katherine Roberts > [“Sometimes, a little spider can make you learn the way to reach to top or to get success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lovely-goyal/sometimes-a-little-spider-can-make-you-learn-the-way-to-reach-to-top/) [Lovely Goyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lovely-goyal/) > [Not fault of teaching spider if little spider pay more attention to catching fly than doing lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/not-fault-of-teaching-spider-if-little-spider-pay-more-attention-to/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [Consider the black widow spider. It's a timid little beastie, useful and, for my taste, the prettiest of the arachnids, with its shiny, patent-leather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/consider-the-black-widow-spider-it-s-a-timid-little-beastie-useful/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [I think it's not a femme fatale when someone is not doing it to manipulate men or be like a black widow. She loves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salma-hayek/i-think-it-s-not-a-femme-fatale-when-someone-is-not-doing-it-to/) [Salma Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salma-hayek/) > [You who have suffered so much do not want to be with the kind of person who makes "black widow" jokes to deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/you-who-have-suffered-so-much-do-not-want-to-be-with-the-kind-of/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [I would love to do a Black Widow movie. That's perfect, I would love to do that. That character is really interesting: she doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-marshall/i-would-love-to-do-a-black-widow-movie-that-s-perfect-i-would-love-to/) [Neil Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-marshall/) > [Often when you see these Black Widow types, you see from the beginning that they have made a choice of how and who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/often-when-you-see-these-black-widow-types-you-see-from-the-beginning/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [This is death To die and know it. This is the Black Widow, death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lowell/this-is-death-to-die-and-know-it-this-is-the-black-widow-death/) [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) > [“I guess I can’t say too much about Natasha because she won’t want much said about her in this forum… I don’t know if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hawkeye-avengers/i-guess-i-can-t-say-too-much-about-natasha-because-she-won-t-want/) Hawkeye Avengers > [Black Widow' is a metaphor for this innocent young girl who gets infected with life, traumas, experiences, and the balance of light and darkness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/black-widow-is-a-metaphor-for-this-innocent-young-girl-who-gets/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [escape from the black widow spider is a miracle as great as art. what a web she can weave slowly drawing you to her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/escape-from-the-black-widow-spider-is-a-miracle-as-great-as-art-what/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“It is no more malicious, and surely no more unnatural than the act of introducing the male black widow spider to the female of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/it-is-no-more-malicious-and-surely-no-more-unnatural-than-the-act-of/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Black Widow' is definitely the darker part of me. This album is about finding the weakness inside and turning it into strength. It's about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/black-widow-is-definitely-the-darker-part-of-me-this-album-is-about/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Not only do we have the handsomest voice cast out there, along with the very lovely Black Widow, we also have an incredible voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-loeb/not-only-do-we-have-the-handsomest-voice-cast-out-there-along-with/) [Jeph Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-loeb/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“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/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Black widow quotes > [Not only do we have the handsomest voice cast out there, along with the very lovely Black Widow, we also have an incredible voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-loeb/not-only-do-we-have-the-handsomest-voice-cast-out-there-along-with/) [Jeph Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-loeb/) > [Black Widow' is definitely the darker part of me. This album is about finding the weakness inside and turning it into strength. It's about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/black-widow-is-definitely-the-darker-part-of-me-this-album-is-about/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Holly winked. 'Do I look like a fly boy to you, Fowl?' Artemis had to admit that she didn't. Captain Short was extremely pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/holly-winked-do-i-look-like-a-fly-boy-to-you-fowl-artemis-had-to/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [escape from the black widow spider is a miracle as great as art. what a web she can weave slowly drawing you to her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/escape-from-the-black-widow-spider-is-a-miracle-as-great-as-art-what/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Black Widow' is a metaphor for this innocent young girl who gets infected with life, traumas, experiences, and the balance of light and darkness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/black-widow-is-a-metaphor-for-this-innocent-young-girl-who-gets/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [“I glared at Shane, who gave me an innocent look. With the most serious expression I could make, I joked, “Some of my close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-zolendz/i-glared-at-shane-who-gave-me-an-innocent-look-with-the-most-serious/) [Christine Zolendz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-zolendz/) > [“I guess I can’t say too much about Natasha because she won’t want much said about her in this forum… I don’t know if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hawkeye-avengers/i-guess-i-can-t-say-too-much-about-natasha-because-she-won-t-want/) Hawkeye Avengers > [This is death To die and know it. This is the Black Widow, death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lowell/this-is-death-to-die-and-know-it-this-is-the-black-widow-death/) [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) > [“Sneaky and underhanded, the Federal Reserve has been sucking the life blood out of the United States since 1913. Like a black widow spider,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mccarthy/sneaky-and-underhanded-the-federal-reserve-has-been-sucking-the-life/) Jim McCarthy > [A black widow loves her mate then kills him. A praying mantis loves her mate then eats him. Women love my dad, but he's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/a-black-widow-loves-her-mate-then-kills-him-a-praying-mantis-loves/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [Often when you see these Black Widow types, you see from the beginning that they have made a choice of how and who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/often-when-you-see-these-black-widow-types-you-see-from-the-beginning/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [“Once, he’d been the Seducer, the Executioner, the High Priest of the Hourglass, the Prince of the Darkness, the High Lord of Hell. Once,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/once-he-d-been-the-seducer-the-executioner-the-high-priest-of-the/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [Finding the voice of a character, no matter who it is - from Black Widow to Han Solo - is the first and most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-liu/finding-the-voice-of-a-character-no-matter-who-it-is-from-black-widow/) [Marjorie Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-liu/) > [I would love to do a Black Widow movie. That's perfect, I would love to do that. That character is really interesting: she doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-marshall/i-would-love-to-do-a-black-widow-movie-that-s-perfect-i-would-love-to/) [Neil Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-marshall/) > [Actually, it’s my younger brother who has me ticked, but since you brought up the boyfriend thing, take my advice; Be the black widow.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/actually-it-s-my-younger-brother-who-has-me-ticked-but-since-you/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) [Browse all 32 Black widow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-widow/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But when I see a black widow, I step on it; I don’t plead with it to be a good little spider and please stop poisoning people.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert A. 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