Abandoned Quote by Alan Dressler
“When I talk to audiences about the size and age of the cosmos, people often say, "It makes me feel so insignificant." I answer, "The bigger and more impersonal the universe is, the more meaningful you are, because this vast, impersonal place needs something significant to fill it up." We've abandoned the old belief that humanity is at the physical center of the universe but more come back to believing we are at the center of meaning.”
About This Quote
Source Talk: “Cosmic Perspective” at Astronomy Conference, 2019
Human significance grows when we recognize the universe’s vastness and fill it with purpose.
In simple terms: Find purpose in a huge universe.
Key Takeaway
Create meaning, fill the void.
Themes
meaning
purpose
universe
humanity
Mood
inspired
curious
Type
lecture
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education
- public speaking
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
cosmology
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you define personal significance?
- What role does the cosmos play in your purpose?
A Different Perspective
Purpose may feel imposed.
![“We’re constantly being bombarded by problems that we face and sometimes we can get completely overwhelmed. [But] we should always feel like a hummingbird. I may feel insignificant, but I don’t want to be like the other animals watching the planet go down the drain. I’ll be a hummingbird, I’ll do…” quote by Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/25d/wangari-maathai-2479_animal_we-re-constantly-being-bombarded-by-prob_1333608.jpg)
