--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Just as islands—isolated places with…" description: "\"“Just as islands—isolated places with unique, rich biodiversity—have relevance for the ecosystems everywhere, so does studying seemingly isolated or ov..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_isolated-places_just-as-islands-isolated-places-with-uni_2665617.jpg" --- # Just as islands—isolated places with unique, rich… ![“Just as islands—isolated places with unique, rich biodiversity—have relevance for the ecosystems everywhere, so does studying seemingly isolated or overlooked people and events from the past turn up unexpected connections and insights to modern life.” quote by Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_isolated-places_just-as-islands-isolated-places-with-uni_2665617.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_isolated-places_just-as-islands-isolated-places-with-uni_2665617.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_isolated-places_just-as-islands-isolated-places-with-uni_2665617.jpg) > ““Just as islands—isolated places with unique, rich biodiversity—have relevance for the ecosystems everywhere, so does studying seemingly isolated or overlooked people and events from the past turn up unexpected connections and insights to modern life.”” [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Studying overlooked people reveals hidden links that inform modern understanding. **In simple terms:** Small histories matter. Key Takeaway Explore marginal stories. Themes history diversity interconnectedness Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type analytical reflective When to use this quote - education - research - policy making - innovation Key Concepts systemic insight emergent patterns Questions to Reflect On - What hidden histories could inform your field? - How do you identify overlooked sources? A Different Perspective May overstate relevance of isolated cases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Isolated places](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolated-places/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Modern life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-life/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [At a physical level, India is blessed with a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. We have a predictable monsoon, and a vast network…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/at-a-physical-level-india-is-blessed-with-a-rich-biodiversity-of/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [Woods are rich with biodiversity and, above all, places of trees and light that spangles a thousand greens through the leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/woods-are-rich-with-biodiversity-and-above-all-places-of-trees-and/) [Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/) > [And there was that letter from the Bramleys—that really made me feel good. You don’t find people like the Bramleys now; radio, television and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/and-there-was-that-letter-from-the-bramleys-that-really-made-me-feel/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [The Sixties were different in an isolated place. We got two television channels if the wind was blowing in the right direction. The radio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/the-sixties-were-different-in-an-isolated-place-we-got-two-television/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [I met people when we lived down in Raleigh who'd ask where I grew up, and I'd say about two hours west of Asheville,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/i-met-people-when-we-lived-down-in-raleigh-who-d-ask-where-i-grew-up/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [I am like a wounded animal in a remote isolated place - How wonderful! - How happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-am-like-a-wounded-animal-in-a-remote-isolated-place-how-wonderful/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“If we find poetry in the service station and motel, if we are drawn to the airport or train carriage, it is perhaps because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/if-we-find-poetry-in-the-service-station-and-motel-if-we-are-drawn-to/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Grace is the light or electricity or juice or breeze that takes you from that isolated place and puts you with others who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/grace-is-the-light-or-electricity-or-juice-or-breeze-that-takes-you/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I began my writing career in a very isolated place and time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/i-began-my-writing-career-in-a-very-isolated-place-and-time/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [For the most part, if you have an isolated place, it's sort of nice to have a communal vibe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-phipps/for-the-most-part-if-you-have-an-isolated-place-it-s-sort-of-nice-to/) [Grace Phipps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-phipps/) > [It is unearned love--the love that goes before, that greets us on the way. It's the help you receive when you have no bright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-is-unearned-love-the-love-that-goes-before-that-greets-us-on-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [All those years I fell for the great palace lie that grief should be gotten over as quickly as possible and as privately. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/all-those-years-i-fell-for-the-great-palace-lie-that-grief-should-be/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Acting is a weird, kind of alienating job because you're in an isolated place. Even if you're working with a lot of other people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/acting-is-a-weird-kind-of-alienating-job-because-you-re-in-an/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [“Heidegger connects the linchpin of the Kantian Paradigm—A5 Active Knower, that is, the idea that the subject organizes experience—to what he considers to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-braver/heidegger-connects-the-linchpin-of-the-kantian-paradigm-a5-active/) [Lee Braver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-braver/) > [Success doesn't have a downside for me. I'm busy, but I've always been busy whatever job I've had. My very first job working in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-derbyshire/success-doesn-t-have-a-downside-for-me-i-m-busy-but-i-ve-always-been/) Victoria Derbyshire ## More by Margot Lee Shetterly > [“...internalized the Negro theorem of needing to be twice as good to get half as far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/internalized-the-negro-theorem-of-needing-to-be-twice-as-good-to-get/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“black people frequently disqualified themselves even without the WHITES ONLY sign in view”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/black-people-frequently-disqualified-themselves-even-without-the/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“At the beginning of a decade when everything was beginning to seem possible, nothing seemed impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/at-the-beginning-of-a-decade-when-everything-was-beginning-to-seem/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [Every time you go to an airport and get on a plane, you are basically taking advantage of the work that was done at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/every-time-you-go-to-an-airport-and-get-on-a-plane-you-are-basically/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“It was the engineer who determined what problems to investigate, designed the experiments, and defined the assignments for the mathematicians.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/it-was-the-engineer-who-determined-what-problems-to-investigate/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“Like craftsmen in a medieval guild, NASA engineers hoped that one day their children would decide to take up the mantle of the profession…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/like-craftsmen-in-a-medieval-guild-nasa-engineers-hoped-that-one-day/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [For too long, history has imposed a binary condition on its black citizens: either nameless or renowned, menial or exceptional, passive recipients of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/for-too-long-history-has-imposed-a-binary-condition-on-its-black/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“a lifetime of stories”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/a-lifetime-of-stories/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“Insatiably curious about the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/insatiably-curious-about-the-world/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [The success of 'Hidden Figures' proves that people are interested in, hungry for, stories about transcendent human experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/the-success-of-hidden-figures-proves-that-people-are-interested-in/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“Early in her career at Langley, Dorthy Lee was interviewed for the Daily Press, in all probability by Virginia Biggins, the female reporter assigned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/early-in-her-career-at-langley-dorthy-lee-was-interviewed-for-the/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“Get the girl to check the numbers,' said the astronaut. If she says the numbers are good, he told them, I'm ready to go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/get-the-girl-to-check-the-numbers-said-the-astronaut-if-she-says-the/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [My dad worked with Mary Jackson very closely at one point. I knew Katherine Johnson as well. They were all part of this group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/my-dad-worked-with-mary-jackson-very-closely-at-one-point-i-knew/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“War, technology, and social progress; it seemed that the second two always came with the first. The NACA’s work—more intense and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/war-technology-and-social-progress-it-seemed-that-the-second-two/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“The black female mathematicians who walked into Langley in 1943 would find themselves at the intersection of these great transformations, their sharp minds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/the-black-female-mathematicians-who-walked-into-langley-in-1943-would/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) [Explore all 79 Margot Lee Shetterly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) ## More Isolated places quotes > [Acting is a weird, kind of alienating job because you're in an isolated place. Even if you're working with a lot of other people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/acting-is-a-weird-kind-of-alienating-job-because-you-re-in-an/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [All those years I fell for the great palace lie that grief should be gotten over as quickly as possible and as privately. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/all-those-years-i-fell-for-the-great-palace-lie-that-grief-should-be/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [It is unearned love--the love that goes before, that greets us on the way. It's the help you receive when you have no bright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-is-unearned-love-the-love-that-goes-before-that-greets-us-on-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [For the most part, if you have an isolated place, it's sort of nice to have a communal vibe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-phipps/for-the-most-part-if-you-have-an-isolated-place-it-s-sort-of-nice-to/) [Grace Phipps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-phipps/) > [I began my writing career in a very isolated place and time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/i-began-my-writing-career-in-a-very-isolated-place-and-time/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Grace is the light or electricity or juice or breeze that takes you from that isolated place and puts you with others who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/grace-is-the-light-or-electricity-or-juice-or-breeze-that-takes-you/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“If we find poetry in the service station and motel, if we are drawn to the airport or train carriage, it is perhaps because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/if-we-find-poetry-in-the-service-station-and-motel-if-we-are-drawn-to/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [I am like a wounded animal in a remote isolated place - How wonderful! - How happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-am-like-a-wounded-animal-in-a-remote-isolated-place-how-wonderful/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I met people when we lived down in Raleigh who'd ask where I grew up, and I'd say about two hours west of Asheville,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/i-met-people-when-we-lived-down-in-raleigh-who-d-ask-where-i-grew-up/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [The Sixties were different in an isolated place. We got two television channels if the wind was blowing in the right direction. The radio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/the-sixties-were-different-in-an-isolated-place-we-got-two-television/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [And there was that letter from the Bramleys—that really made me feel good. You don’t find people like the Bramleys now; radio, television and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/and-there-was-that-letter-from-the-bramleys-that-really-made-me-feel/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) [Browse all 12 Isolated places quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolated-places/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Just as islands—isolated places with unique, rich biodiversity—have relevance for the ecosystems everywhere, so does studying seemingly isolated or overlooked people and events from the past turn up unexpected connections and insights to modern life.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Margot Lee Shetterly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/just-as-islands-isolated-places-with-unique-rich-biodiversity-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Isolated places" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/just-as-islands-isolated-places-with-unique-rich-biodiversity-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_isolated-places_just-as-islands-isolated-places-with-uni_2665617.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_isolated-places_just-as-islands-isolated-places-with-uni_2665617.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_isolated-places_just-as-islands-isolated-places-with-uni_2665617.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Just as islands—isolated places with unique, rich biodiversity—have relevance for the ecosystems everywhere…” — Margot Lee Shetterly", "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": "Margot Lee Shetterly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Just as islands—isolated places with unique,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/just-as-islands-isolated-places-with-unique-rich-biodiversity-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/just-as-islands-isolated-places-with-unique-rich-biodiversity-have/#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 } } ] } ```