“If you kill a cockroach, you are a hero; if you kill a butterfly, you are evil. Morals have aesthetic criteria.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Sometimes, one can’t comprehend how those classical scholars make things far more complicated.
According to the quote, our moral perception of good and bad is biased because it’s mainly based on how do we feel and perceive things. For example, the act of killing might be seen as heroic, or it might also be barbaric, depending on personal perceptions and favourism.
Don’t you agree that this point of view mainly applies to cases related to connections, power, money, and unfortunately race. But, definitlly, things are not the same with insects.
The moral aesthetic criteria when coming face to face with insects are mainly based on your ability to either flee, let them flee, or sadly end their lives.
Can you consider this blog an analytical study and examine my point of view regarding the issue of moral aesthetic critiria? Please do, because it’s based on a real case study – my own experience.
Many years ago, when I was newlywed, I was tidying up my cosy, small flat in Cairo after my husband had left to finish some official papers before our travel to the UK. It was one of August’s smouldering days, and in Egypt we used to keep all windows shut in the morning. They used to be wooden windows that allowed good ventilation and worked so well with indoor fans. We could have installed air-conditioning, but since we were planning to travel in a few months, we didn’t want to waste extra money.
Back then, I was one of those people who could get frightened by their own shadow (I am not now). So, when I heard a strange sound and felt suspicious movement around, my heart started pounding hard and fast. As I fearfully gazed around the hall trying to spot the intruder, a cockroach with two big wings flew next to me and hid somewhere.
How I wished I could run to my room, lock the door, and hide there until my husband came back. But, I didn’t because I wouldn’t rest until I got rid of this intruder.
How would the well – known scholar expect me to react in this case? Welcome its company and offer it food and shelter? I can’t believe anyone would. That’s simply because a cockroach is a creepy, harmful insect that can not only bite but also cause diseases that might be poisonous.
So, after chasing each other, jumping from one sofa to another, screaming, and almost fainting, I grabbed one of my slippers and held it tightly with my trembling hand. The moment came when the intruder stood still on the floor. Though it took too long, but it finally came. I ran and slapped it on the head, not once but ten times, and I left my small slippers on its corpse.
The thought of what the moral aesthetic criteria of my deed had never crossed my mind. The only moral aesthetic thing I did was lie down on the sofa and breathe in relief.
With butterflies, the case is different because they are harmless, delicate insects. If you just touch them hard, they would be broken, and fade away. And, unless you have a garden or they get into your house by mistake, they never intrude, never scare, or cause any harm. That’s why I always let them out when I spot any in my house. But would you blame the spider when you find a butterfly caught in its web? I wouldn’t because that wouldn’t ‘t be evil, but a survival criterion.
What do you think?
Do you agree with my analytical study?
With all the best wishes,
Nahla
P.S. It’s still rainy and windy here.
Pure and Simple 
Cockroaches and butterflies — two creatures, one earth, and wildly different PR teams.
This post isn’t just about bugs; it’s about how we, as humans, are walking contradictions. We say we love nature — but only the “cute” parts. A butterfly flutters in, and we practically roll out a red carpet: “Oh, look at you, little miracle of life!” But a cockroach appears, and suddenly, it’s full-blown warfare — shoes flying, people jumping on furniture like it’s the Olympics.
But let’s go deeper — why do we react this way? It’s because we humans have this habit of slapping labels on everything: “Good, bad, pretty, gross, friend, enemy.” It’s like we can’t handle the chaos of life without putting it into tidy folders. And here’s where it gets funny — the cockroach doesn’t know it’s hated. It’s just out here living its best life, looking for snacks and dark corners. Meanwhile, we’re plotting its downfall like it’s some evil mastermind.
But this isn’t just about bugs. Think about it — you’re walking in the forest, and you see a bear. Your brain doesn’t stop for a moral debate: “Hmm, is the bear good or bad?” Nope. It screams, “RUN!” Because suddenly, you’re the intruder in someone else’s living room.
And mosquitoes? Oh, they’re the ultimate lesson in biased morality. They’re tiny, barely noticeable — until they start sucking your blood. Then, it’s a slap-fest. We go from peaceful nature-lover to full-blown ninja in 0.3 seconds. Why? Because we assign meaning based on how things affect us. The butterfly? Harmless. The cockroach? Gross. The mosquito? A flying villain with a tiny straw.
But here’s the real kicker — the world doesn’t care about our labels. The cockroach isn’t “bad,” the butterfly isn’t “good,” the mosquito isn’t “evil.” They’re just doing what nature programmed them to do. It’s humans who spin the stories — always trying to fit everything into a neat narrative, as if the universe is waiting for our Yelp review.
This post nails that uncomfortable truth: morality isn’t about what’s right or wrong — it’s about who’s in whose territory and who gets hurt in the process. We swat the mosquito but watch the butterfly. We run from the bear but exterminate the cockroach. It’s all about context — and a little bit about who makes us itch.
In the end, we’re all just creatures in the big, chaotic ecosystem — sometimes the bear, sometimes the mosquito, and if we’re lucky, the butterfly. But most days? Probably the cockroach, dodging flip-flops and just trying to survive. 🐻🦋🦟🪳✨
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Thanks so much for reading and for your insightful comment.
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