--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am a collection of water, calcium and…" description: "\"“I am a collection of water, calcium and organic molecules called Carl Sagan. You are a collection of almost identical molecules with a different colle..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/carl-sagan-160_essence-of-life_i-am-a-collection-of-water-calcium-and-o_1867529.jpg" --- # I am a collection of water, calcium and organic molecules… ![“I am a collection of water, calcium and organic molecules called Carl Sagan. You are a collection of almost identical molecules with a different collective label. But is that all? Is there nothing in here but molecules? Some people find this idea somehow demeaning to human dignity. For myself, I…” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/carl-sagan-160_essence-of-life_i-am-a-collection-of-water-calcium-and-o_1867529.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/carl-sagan-160_essence-of-life_i-am-a-collection-of-water-calcium-and-o_1867529.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/carl-sagan-160_essence-of-life_i-am-a-collection-of-water-calcium-and-o_1867529.jpg) > ““I am a collection of water, calcium and organic molecules called Carl Sagan. You are a collection of almost identical molecules with a different collective label. But is that all? Is there nothing in here but molecules? Some people find this idea somehow demeaning to human dignity. For myself, I find it elevating that our universe permits the evolution of molecular machines as intricate and subtle as we. But the essence of life is not so much the atoms and simple molecules that make us up as the way in which they are put together. Every now and then we read that the chemicals which constitute the human body cost ninety-seven cents or ten dollars or some such figure; it is a little depressing to find our bodies valued so little. However, these estimates are for human beings reduced to our simplest possible components. We are made mostly of water, which costs almost nothing; the carbon is costed in the form of coal; the calcium in our bones as chalk; the nitrogen in our proteins as air (cheap also); the iron in our blood as rusty nails. If we did not know better, we might be tempted to take all the atoms that make us up, mix them together in a big container and stir. We can do this as much as we want. But in the end all we have is a tedious mixture of atoms. How could we have expected anything else?”” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human beings are complex arrangements of simple molecules; value is not in raw materials but in their organization and consciousness. **In simple terms:** We’re made of cheap atoms, but our minds give them worth. Key Takeaway Recognize the extraordinary organization of our bodies. Themes philosophy science humanity Mood wonder introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - public speaking - personal reflection - ethical debate Key Concepts materialism consciousness value perception Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing molecular makeup affect self‑respect? - What responsibilities arise from seeing life as organized matter? A Different Perspective Might overlook emotional aspects of dignity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carl-sagan/) [Essence of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence-of-life/) [Human body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-body/) [Human dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-dignity/) [Life Atoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-atoms-2074634/) [Molecules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/molecules/) [Molecules Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/molecules-make-2555004/) [Molecules People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/molecules-people-2555003/) [Simple Molecules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-molecules-1248051/) ## Related quotes > [“I am a collection of water, calcium and organic molecules called Carl Sagan. You are a collection of almost identical molecules with a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/i-am-a-collection-of-water-calcium-and-organic-molecules-called-carl-2/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Life is not made of atoms,it is merely built out of them. What life is actually 'made of' is cycles of cause and effect,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/life-is-not-made-of-atoms-it-is-merely-built-out-of-them-what-life-is/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [Simple molecules combine to make powerful chemicals. Simple cells combine to make powerful life-forms. Simple electronics combine to make powerful computers. Logically, all things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/simple-molecules-combine-to-make-powerful-chemicals-simple-cells/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [ \[John\] Dalton was a man of regular habits. For fifty-seven years he walked out of Manchester every day; he measured the rainfall, the temperature-a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/john-dalton-was-a-man-of-regular-habits-for-fifty-seven-years-he/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [Life is not found in atoms or molecules or genes as such, but in organization; not in symbiosis but in synthesis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-found-in-atoms-or-molecules-or-genes-as-such-but-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Delenn: "The molecules of your body are the same molecules that make up this station, and the nebula outside, that burn inside the stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/delenn-the-molecules-of-your-body-are-the-same-molecules-that-make-up/) [J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/) > [What I want to do is demonstrate that biology can learn how to make a vast array of molecules that people thought were outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/what-i-want-to-do-is-demonstrate-that-biology-can-learn-how-to-make-a/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [Recognize that the very molecules that make up your body...are traceable to the crucibles that were once the centers of high mass stars that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/recognize-that-the-very-molecules-that-make-up-your-body-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“Recognize that the very molecules that make up your body, the atoms that construct the molecules, are traceable to the crucibles that were once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/recognize-that-the-very-molecules-that-make-up-your-body-the-atoms/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [We are trying to find drugs, small molecules, that people could take to make them disease-resistant, more youthful and healthy. Eventually we will find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-kenyon/we-are-trying-to-find-drugs-small-molecules-that-people-could-take-to/) [Cynthia Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-kenyon/) > [“More praise for The Demon-Haunted World “As I close this eloquent and fascinating book, I recall the final chapter title from one of Carl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/more-praise-for-the-demon-haunted-world-as-i-close-this-eloquent-and/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“as astronomer Carl Sagan once aptly put it, you do not want to keep your mind so open that your brain is likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massimo-pigliucci/as-astronomer-carl-sagan-once-aptly-put-it-you-do-not-want-to-keep/) [Massimo Pigliucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massimo-pigliucci/) > [“A saving grace of the human condition (if I may phrase it like that) is a sense of humor. Many writers and witnesses, guessing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/a-saving-grace-of-the-human-condition-if-i-may-phrase-it-like-that-is/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I want Carl Sagan to explain the sky to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whoopi-goldberg/i-want-carl-sagan-to-explain-the-sky-to-me/) [Whoopi Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whoopi-goldberg/) > [“My fundamental premise about the brain is that its workings—what we sometimes call “mind”—are a consequence of its anatomy and physiology, and nothing more.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/my-fundamental-premise-about-the-brain-is-that-its-workings-what-we/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) ## More by Carl Sagan > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Telepathy’ literally means to feel at a distance, just as ‘telephone’ is to hear at a distance and ‘television’ is to see at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/telepathy-literally-means-to-feel-at-a-distance-just-as-telephone-is/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“On the scale of worlds—to say nothing of stars or galaxies—humans are inconsequential, a thin film of life on an obscure and solitary lump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/on-the-scale-of-worlds-to-say-nothing-of-stars-or-galaxies-humans-are/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [In our time, we have sifted the sands of Mars, we have established a presence there, we have fulfilled a century of dreams!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-our-time-we-have-sifted-the-sands-of-mars-we-have-established-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ “\[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :\] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-about-fulfilled-prophecies-he/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Don't judge everyone else by your own limited experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/don-t-judge-everyone-else-by-your-own-limited-experience/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/books-permit-us-to-voyage-through-time-to-tap-the-wisdom-of-our/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We live on a hunk of rock and metal that circles a humdrum star that is one of 400 billion other stars that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-live-on-a-hunk-of-rock-and-metal-that-circles-a-humdrum-star-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-tiny-blue-dot-set-in-a-sunbeam-here-it-is-that-s-where-we-live-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Any sufficiently crisp question can be answered by a single binary digit-0 or 1, yes or no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/any-sufficiently-crisp-question-can-be-answered-by-a-single-binary/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/humans-who-enslave-castrate-experiment-on-and-fillet-other-animals/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every star may be a sun to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-star-may-be-a-sun-to-someone/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Explore all 1,043 Carl Sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More Essence of life quotes > [Spiritually, life is a festival, a celebration. Joy is of the essence of life;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnivesh/spiritually-life-is-a-festival-a-celebration-joy-is-of-the-essence-of/) [Agnivesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnivesh/) > [It seems not to have been written. It is the quintessence of life. It is the basic truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-atkinson/it-seems-not-to-have-been-written-it-is-the-quintessence-of-life-it/) [Brooks Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-atkinson/) > [History and Biology, not created the premise that friendships are necessary for a satisfying and healthy life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumar-anupam/history-and-biology-not-created-the-premise-that-friendships-are/) [Kumar Anupam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumar-anupam/) > [Timing is the essence of life, and definitely of comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/timing-is-the-essence-of-life-and-definitely-of-comedy/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [“The essence of life is that it’s challenging. Sometimes it is sweet, and sometimes it is bitter. Sometimes your body tenses, and sometimes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/the-essence-of-life-is-that-it-s-challenging-sometimes-it-is-sweet/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“The essence of life is mastering the art of giving love freely and welcoming it with open arms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-hultman/the-essence-of-life-is-mastering-the-art-of-giving-love-freely-and/) [Brandon Hultman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-hultman/) > [The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-adventure-of-life-is-to-learn-the-purpose-of-life-is-to-grow-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“True glory and the essence of life lies in the pro-creation and re-actment of heroic meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/true-glory-and-the-essence-of-life-lies-in-the-pro-creation-and-re/) [VD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vd/) > [Clean water, the essence of life and a birthright for everyone, must become available to all people now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-michel-cousteau/clean-water-the-essence-of-life-and-a-birthright-for-everyone-must/) [Jean-Michel Cousteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-michel-cousteau/) > [Goal setting is the essence of life. Tenaciously pursue your goals not for external praise but for inner reward. It makes you a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/goal-setting-is-the-essence-of-life-tenaciously-pursue-your-goals-not/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“The essence of life is to appreciate and value all occurrence be it good or bad, it’s a lifetime episodes, the multitude of colors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nisyah/the-essence-of-life-is-to-appreciate-and-value-all-occurrence-be-it/) [Nisyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nisyah/) > [Submission does not mean being weak or passive. It leads to neither fatalism nor capitulation. Just the opposite. True power resides in submission. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-safak/submission-does-not-mean-being-weak-or-passive-it-leads-to-neither/) [Elif Safak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-safak/) > [Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-arp/soon-silence-will-have-passed-into-legend-man-has-turned-his-back-on/) [Jean Arp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-arp/) > [Human nature being what it is, peace must inevitably be a relative condition. The essence of life is struggle and competition, and to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-perez-de-cuellar/human-nature-being-what-it-is-peace-must-inevitably-be-a-relative/) [Javier Perez de Cuellar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-perez-de-cuellar/) > [I think there are times when human beings open our psychic field: when they're in love, when they're with another person that they resonate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/i-think-there-are-times-when-human-beings-open-our-psychic-field-when/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) [Browse all 179 Essence of life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence-of-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I am a collection of water, calcium and organic molecules called Carl Sagan. You are a collection of almost identical molecules with a different collective label. But is that all? Is there nothing in here but molecules? Some people find this idea somehow demeaning to human dignity. For myself, I find it elevating that our universe permits the evolution of molecular machines as intricate and subtle as we. But the essence of life is not so much the atoms and simple molecules that make us up as the way in which they are put together. Every now and then we read that the chemicals which constitute the human body cost ninety-seven cents or ten dollars or some such figure; it is a little depressing to find our bodies valued so little. However, these estimates are for human beings reduced to our simplest possible components. We are made mostly of water, which costs almost nothing; the carbon is costed in the form of coal; the calcium in our bones as chalk; the nitrogen in our proteins as air (cheap also); the iron in our blood as rusty nails. 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