Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.

The saying uses metamorphosis as a metaphor for resilience: what feels like an ending (the caterpillar’s “world” disappearing in the chrysalis) can be the necessary prelude to transformation. It frames crisis, loss, or stagnation as a liminal stage rather than a final defeat, encouraging patience when outcomes are not yet visible. The image is especially potent because the caterpillar cannot “see” the butterfly it will become; likewise, people in hardship often cannot imagine the form their future recovery or growth will take. As a modern proverb, it functions as motivational wisdom about hope, change, and the hidden work of becoming.