--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: neither we nor our planet enjoys a…" description: "\"“neither we nor our planet enjoys a privileged position in Nature. This insight has since been applied upward to the stars, and sideways to many subset..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/carl-sagan-160_family_neither-we-nor-our-planet-enjoys-a-privi_1529982.jpg" --- # neither we nor our planet enjoys a privileged position in… ![“neither we nor our planet enjoys a privileged position in Nature. This insight has since been applied upward to the stars, and sideways to many subsets of the human family, with great success and invariable opposition. It has been responsible for major advances in astronomy, physics, biology…” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/carl-sagan-160_family_neither-we-nor-our-planet-enjoys-a-privi_1529982.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/carl-sagan-160_family_neither-we-nor-our-planet-enjoys-a-privi_1529982.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/carl-sagan-160_family_neither-we-nor-our-planet-enjoys-a-privi_1529982.jpg) > ““neither we nor our planet enjoys a privileged position in Nature. This insight has since been applied upward to the stars, and sideways to many subsets of the human family, with great success and invariable opposition. It has been responsible for major advances in astronomy, physics, biology, anthropology, economics and politics. I wonder if its social extrapolation is a major reason for attempts at its suppression.”” [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 and Earth are not central in the cosmos; this perspective has driven scientific progress but also faces resistance when applied socially. **In simple terms:** We are not the center of the universe; this view fuels science and can be controversial. Key Takeaway Recognize humility and question power structures. Themes humility science social change Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education reform - environmental policy - global cooperation - scientific research Key Concepts anthropocentrism cosmology interdisciplinary impact Questions to Reflect On - How does seeing ourselves as non‑central affect responsibility? - What are the risks of misapplying cosmic humility? A Different Perspective Some argue that the same humility can be used to justify inaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Nature Insight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-insight-5674382/) [Planet Enjoys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planet-enjoys-5674380/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Position Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position-nature-2019584/) [Privileged Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privileged-position-1012654/) [Social Extrapolation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-extrapolation-5674384/) ## Related quotes > [“I am only a peasant by position, not by nature!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/i-am-only-a-peasant-by-position-not-by-nature/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Sometimes I think man needs to feel a special position within nature, and this leads him to believe that he is either specially hated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/sometimes-i-think-man-needs-to-feel-a-special-position-within-nature/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [Humans have occupied a position in nature that they should not. It is impossible for humans to conquer nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/humans-have-occupied-a-position-in-nature-that-they-should-not-it-is/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [Many books that tell you how to achieve come from a privileged position. If you can't see yourself in the advice, how can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-abrams/many-books-that-tell-you-how-to-achieve-come-from-a-privileged/) [Stacey Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-abrams/) > [When you are trying to understand the world, it is unwise to assume that you occupy a privileged position in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-holt/when-you-are-trying-to-understand-the-world-it-is-unwise-to-assume/) [Jim Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-holt/) > [There are very few lows but lots and lots of highs. You're in an incredibly privileged position because you're able to go along to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-douglas/there-are-very-few-lows-but-lots-and-lots-of-highs-you-re-in-an/) [Jill Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-douglas/) > [There's this privileged position of being an artist where you can do things on a more experimental nature simply to see what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-zittel/there-s-this-privileged-position-of-being-an-artist-where-you-can-do/) [Andrea Zittel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-zittel/) > [I think people like me are in a relatively privileged position because we have to some extent chosen to live in foreign places. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/i-think-people-like-me-are-in-a-relatively-privileged-position/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [I know that every football fan would love to do my job; get paid to watch football and say it how they see it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kamara/i-know-that-every-football-fan-would-love-to-do-my-job-get-paid-to/) [Chris Kamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kamara/) > [Right now, I love the fact that I have so many opportunities, but I know this privileged position cannot last. That doesn't mean that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/right-now-i-love-the-fact-that-i-have-so-many-opportunities-but-i/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [No one has a right to occupy the privileged position all the time, so it should be contested. It should always be messy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/no-one-has-a-right-to-occupy-the-privileged-position-all-the-time-so/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [Us, as footballers, are in a very privileged position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gray/us-as-footballers-are-in-a-very-privileged-position/) [Andre Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gray/) > [I feel like I'm in a privileged position where I get to meet people and talk to them about the most important things in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-neville/i-feel-like-i-m-in-a-privileged-position-where-i-get-to-meet-people/) [Morgan Neville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-neville/) > [Being a movie star is a rare job. Nobody gives you any guarantees that you'll get to do it forever. It's a very lucky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-keaton/being-a-movie-star-is-a-rare-job-nobody-gives-you-any-guarantees-that/) [Diane Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-keaton/) > [Yes, I was given a privileged position at a young age. But if I had not been willing to work hard and prepare myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanie-buss/yes-i-was-given-a-privileged-position-at-a-young-age-but-if-i-had-not/) [Jeanie Buss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanie-buss/) ## 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 Family quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. 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"But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [The people have always been family to me here in Las Vegas. 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