--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We've moved from a small world on a big…" description: "\"We've moved from a small world on a big planet to a big world on a small planet.\" — Johan Rockstrom" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/johan-rockstrom-22603_big_we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big_1495367.jpg" --- # We've moved from a small world on a big planet to a big… ![“We've moved from a small world on a big planet to a big world on a small planet.” quote by Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/johan-rockstrom-22603_big_we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big_1495367.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/johan-rockstrom-22603_big_we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big_1495367.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/johan-rockstrom-22603_big_we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big_1495367.jpg) > “We've moved from a small world on a big planet to a big world on a small planet.” [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human impact has flipped the scale, making Earth feel cramped despite its size. **In simple terms:** Big world feels small due to human activity. Key Takeaway Recognize and reduce our footprint. Themes environment globalization scale human impact Mood concerned reflective Type call to action inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - urban planning - personal lifestyle choices Key Concepts sustainability planetary boundaries anthropocene Questions to Reflect On - How does your daily life affect planetary scale? - What policies could enlarge our shared space? A Different Perspective Changing habits alone may not reverse large‑scale trends. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Big Planet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-planet-5469740/) [Big world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-world/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Moved Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved-small-5469739/) [Planet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planet/) [Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small/) [Small Planet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-planet-273686/) [Small world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-world/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-small-640177/) ## Related quotes > [“Every good operative knows that the world is small, but the planet is big.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/every-good-operative-knows-that-the-world-is-small-but-the-planet-is/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [If you and I got on an airplane, you're going to L.A., Los Angeles, and I'm going to Senegal, we get there about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/if-you-and-i-got-on-an-airplane-you-re-going-to-l-a-los-angeles-and-i/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [There are no distant places any longer: the world is small and the world is one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-willkie/there-are-no-distant-places-any-longer-the-world-is-small-and-the/) [Wendell Willkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-willkie/) > [The skating world is a very small world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-lipinski/the-skating-world-is-a-very-small-world/) [Tara Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-lipinski/) > [Be nice. (The world is a small town.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/be-nice-the-world-is-a-small-town/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [The world is now too small for anything but brotherhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-powell-davies/the-world-is-now-too-small-for-anything-but-brotherhood/) [A. Powell Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-powell-davies/) > [Your world is very small. Your world is bundle of your experiences. Have you observed this?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/your-world-is-very-small-your-world-is-bundle-of-your-experiences/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Love is a small world…in that we r a small flowers…dont plug us in name of sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun/love-is-a-small-world-in-that-we-r-a-small-flowers-dont-plug-us-in/) [Arun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun/) > [“The whole world around me is the small world in your fingers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/the-whole-world-around-me-is-the-small-world-in-your-fingers/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [The modern airplane creates a new geographic dimension ... the world is small, the world is one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-willkie/the-modern-airplane-creates-a-new-geographic-dimension-the-world-is/) [Wendell Willkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-willkie/) > [If you think small, your world will be small. If you think big, your world will be big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/if-you-think-small-your-world-will-be-small-if-you-think-big-your/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Life doesn't tell me to feed my own small world and ignore the big world. But life tells me to wake up and feed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-appiah/life-doesn-t-tell-me-to-feed-my-own-small-world-and-ignore-the-big/) [Thomas Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-appiah/) > [It's nice to know there's a big world with many perspectives. I tend to get so stuck in my own small world easily, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitski/it-s-nice-to-know-there-s-a-big-world-with-many-perspectives-i-tend/) [Mitski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitski/) > [“In the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/in-the-final-analysis-our-most-basic-common-link-is-that-we-all/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [You'd chosen to be an upright biped on the surface of a small planet of a minor sun on the edge of a minor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/you-d-chosen-to-be-an-upright-biped-on-the-surface-of-a-small-planet/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) ## More by Johan Rockstrom > [Protecting our planet is a moral imperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/protecting-our-planet-is-a-moral-imperative/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [By decarbonizing the global economy and limiting climate change, world leaders can unleash a wave of innovation, support the emergence of new industries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/by-decarbonizing-the-global-economy-and-limiting-climate-change-world/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [Just as we demand that our governments address risks associated with terrorism or epidemics, we should put concerted pressure on them to act now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/just-as-we-demand-that-our-governments-address-risks-associated-with/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [Fundamentally, we need a mind-shift that reconnects our development to the biosphere to ensure good and safe lives for all in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/fundamentally-we-need-a-mind-shift-that-reconnects-our-development-to/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [Either we leave our descendants an endowment of zero poverty, zero fossil-fuel use, and zero biodiversity loss, or we leave them facing a tax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/either-we-leave-our-descendants-an-endowment-of-zero-poverty-zero/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [Under stable and incremental conditions, a free-market economy spurs entrepreneurship, ensures efficiency, and generates wealth. Those conditions no longer apply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/under-stable-and-incremental-conditions-a-free-market-economy-spurs/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [Decarbonization has already begun, and the appeal of a fossil-fuel-free world is growing - not only because it would limit climate change, but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/decarbonization-has-already-begun-and-the-appeal-of-a-fossil-fuel/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [Managing forests, rivers, grasslands, and coral reefs in sustainable ways makes them more resilient and increases their ability to absorb greenhouse gases, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/managing-forests-rivers-grasslands-and-coral-reefs-in-sustainable/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [The number of children in the world is not growing, and so we eventually have a chance to stabilize the population at around 10…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/the-number-of-children-in-the-world-is-not-growing-and-so-we/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [There is an old belief that solving environmental problems can only be achieved by first building enough economic wealth so we can 'afford to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/there-is-an-old-belief-that-solving-environmental-problems-can-only/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [We see evidence that lakes and forests and wetlands can have different equilibria - so you have a savanna system that may be stable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/we-see-evidence-that-lakes-and-forests-and-wetlands-can-have/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [Global sustainability is now the only avenue to future inclusive progress that can deliver the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris climate agreement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/global-sustainability-is-now-the-only-avenue-to-future-inclusive/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [If we don't succeed on the climate change agenda, we risk getting feedbacks that undermine everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/if-we-don-t-succeed-on-the-climate-change-agenda-we-risk-getting/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [World leaders need to realize that the cost of transforming the global energy system is far less than coping with the consequences of burning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/world-leaders-need-to-realize-that-the-cost-of-transforming-the/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [Climate change poses tremendous threat to water resources, as there is inconsistency in the rains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/climate-change-poses-tremendous-threat-to-water-resources-as-there-is/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) [Explore all 27 Johan Rockstrom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) ## More Big quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/) [Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/) > [I think a big part of success in football is mental, not physical. How you are inside your head matters more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iker-casillas/i-think-a-big-part-of-success-in-football-is-mental-not-physical-how/) [Iker Casillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iker-casillas/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Making sure that people have access to preventive medicine for the first time ever as a nation? That's a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/making-sure-that-people-have-access-to-preventive-medicine-for-the/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [What I know about Ali Krieger is no moment is ever going to be too big for her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-ellis/what-i-know-about-ali-krieger-is-no-moment-is-ever-going-to-be-too/) [Jill Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-ellis/) [Browse all 12,477 Big quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We've moved from a small world on a big planet to a big world on a small planet.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Johan Rockstrom" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big-planet-to-a-big-world-on-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big-planet-to-a-big-world-on-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/johan-rockstrom-22603_big_we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big_1495367.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/johan-rockstrom-22603_big_we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big_1495367.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/johan-rockstrom-22603_big_we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big_1495367.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We've moved from a small world on a big planet to a big world on a small planet.” — Johan Rockstrom", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Johan Rockstrom", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We've moved from a small world...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big-planet-to-a-big-world-on-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big-planet-to-a-big-world-on-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```