--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not to leave planet Earth would be like…" description: "\"Not to leave planet Earth would be like castaways on a desert island not trying to escape...Sending humans to other planets ... will shape the future o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/stephen-hawking-389_castaway_not-to-leave-planet-earth-would-be-like_1772800.jpg" --- # Not to leave planet Earth would be like castaways on a… ![“Not to leave planet Earth would be like castaways on a desert island not trying to escape...Sending humans to other planets ... will shape the future of the human race in ways we don't yet understand, and may determine whether we have any future at all.” quote by Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/stephen-hawking-389_castaway_not-to-leave-planet-earth-would-be-like_1772800.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/stephen-hawking-389_castaway_not-to-leave-planet-earth-would-be-like_1772800.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/stephen-hawking-389_castaway_not-to-leave-planet-earth-would-be-like_1772800.jpg) > “Not to leave planet Earth would be like castaways on a desert island not trying to escape...Sending humans to other planets ... will shape the future of the human race in ways we don't yet understand, and may determine whether we have any future at all.” [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaving Earth uncolonized would trap humanity like stranded castaways, while planetary settlement could secure our long‑term survival. **In simple terms:** Staying on Earth limits us; colonizing other planets may ensure humanity's future. Key Takeaway Consider supporting space colonization. Themes space exploration future survival Mood hopeful serious Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - government policy - private spaceflight - education - public outreach Key Concepts Existential risk planetary colonization Questions to Reflect On - What are the biggest risks of becoming a multi‑planet species? - How can we balance Earth stewardship with space expansion? A Different Perspective Space colonization faces massive technical, economic, and ethical hurdles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Castaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/castaway/) [Desert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desert/) [Desert island](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desert-island/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Islands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islands/) [Planet earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planet-earth/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that the long-term future of the human race must be space and that it represents an important life insurance for our future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-believe-that-the-long-term-future-of-the-human-race-must-be-space/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [We're going to leave this planet at some point further than we have, we're going to go beyond the moon, we're going to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/we-re-going-to-leave-this-planet-at-some-point-further-than-we-have/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [“How to Leave the Planet 1. Phone NASA. Their phone number is (713) 483-3111. Explain that it’s very important that you get away as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/how-to-leave-the-planet-1-phone-nasa-their-phone-number-is-713-483-2/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [We owe it to each other - and to our children and grandchildren - to leave our planet in a better state than when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dodd/we-owe-it-to-each-other-and-to-our-children-and-grandchildren-to/) [Christopher Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dodd/) > [“we broke into Mir using a Swiss Army knife. Never leave the planet without one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/we-broke-into-mir-using-a-swiss-army-knife-never-leave-the-planet/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [“The truly great ones attained personal fulfillment. Some of them publicly announced that they were done and ready to leave the planet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assegid-habtewold/the-truly-great-ones-attained-personal-fulfillment-some-of-them/) [Assegid Habtewold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assegid-habtewold/) > [We can no longer continue with a status quo energy policy. We must create sustainable clean energy jobs and leave the planet to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/we-can-no-longer-continue-with-a-status-quo-energy-policy-we-must/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [I hope to direct a few more films before I leave the planet, so I hope I can find the material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-harris/i-hope-to-direct-a-few-more-films-before-i-leave-the-planet-so-i-hope/) [Ed Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-harris/) > [When you're a houseguest and you leave, it's nice to straighten something up or send your hosts a useful gift. And when you leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/when-you-re-a-houseguest-and-you-leave-it-s-nice-to-straighten/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [If our biological imperative is to pass our genes to the next generation, our moral imperative has to be to try, before we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/if-our-biological-imperative-is-to-pass-our-genes-to-the-next/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [The people who leave the planet during the time of Earth changes do not fit in here any longer, and they are stopping the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-marciniak/the-people-who-leave-the-planet-during-the-time-of-earth-changes-do/) [Barbara Marciniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-marciniak/) > [You are not here to please other people or to live your lives their way. You can only live it your own way and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/you-are-not-here-to-please-other-people-or-to-live-your-lives-their/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [We will have to leave this planet, and we're going to leave it, and it's going to make this planet better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-will-have-to-leave-this-planet-and-we-re-going-to-leave-it-and-it/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [“How to Leave the Planet 1. Phone NASA. Their phone number is (713) 483-3111. Explain that it’s very important that you get away as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/how-to-leave-the-planet-1-phone-nasa-their-phone-number-is-713-483/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Because maybe I don't want to leave the planet invisible. Maybe I need at least one person to remember something about me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/because-maybe-i-don-t-want-to-leave-the-planet-invisible-maybe-i-need/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) ## More by Stephen Hawking > [The doctor who diagnosed me with ALS, or motor neuron disease, told me that it would kill me in two or three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-doctor-who-diagnosed-me-with-als-or-motor-neuron-disease-told-me/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [We are the product of quantum fluctuations in the very early universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-are-the-product-of-quantum-fluctuations-in-the-very-early-universe/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The human race does not have a very good record of intelligent behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-does-not-have-a-very-good-record-of-intelligent/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“We have finally found something that doesn’t have a cause, because there was no time for a cause to exist in. For me this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-have-finally-found-something-that-doesn-t-have-a-cause-because/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [ \[On President Bush's plan to get to Mars in 10 years\] Stupid. Robots would do a better job and be much cheaper because you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/on-president-bush-s-plan-to-get-to-mars-in-10-years-stupid-robots/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I believe the simplest explanation is, there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-believe-the-simplest-explanation-is-there-is-no-god-no-one-created/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The Paralympic Games is about transforming our perception of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-paralympic-games-is-about-transforming-our-perception-of-the-world/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The increase of disorder or entropy is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-increase-of-disorder-or-entropy-is-what-distinguishes-the-past/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Most sets of values would give rise to universes that, although they might be very beautiful, would contain no one able to wonder at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/most-sets-of-values-would-give-rise-to-universes-that-although-they/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, and science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/there-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-religion-which-is-based-on/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“In the eighteenth century, philosophers considered the whole of human knowledge, including science, to be their field and discussed questions such as: Did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/in-the-eighteenth-century-philosophers-considered-the-whole-of-human/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [A model is a good model if first it interprets a wide range of observations in terms of a simple and elegant model, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/a-model-is-a-good-model-if-first-it-interprets-a-wide-range-of/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“Empedocles noticed that if you cover the neck before you immerse it, a clepsydra does not fill. He reasoned that something invisible must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/empedocles-noticed-that-if-you-cover-the-neck-before-you-immerse-it-a/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The human race shouldn't have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet. Let's hope we can avoid dropping the basket until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-shouldn-t-have-all-its-eggs-in-one-basket-or-on-one/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I hope I have helped to raise the profile of science and to show that physics is not a mystery but can be understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-hope-i-have-helped-to-raise-the-profile-of-science-and-to-show-that/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) [Explore all 601 Stephen Hawking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) ## More Castaway quotes > [Rome, believe me, my friend, is like its own Monte Testaceo, Merelya marvellous mass of broken and castaway wine-pots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/rome-believe-me-my-friend-is-like-its-own-monte-testaceo-merelya/) [Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/) > [Some voluntary castaways there will always be, whom no fostering kindness and no parental care can preserve from self-destruction; but if any are lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/some-voluntary-castaways-there-will-always-be-whom-no-fostering/) [Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“this castaway, that, like a man transplanted into another planet, was separated by an immense space from his past and by an immense ignorance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/this-castaway-that-like-a-man-transplanted-into-another-planet-was/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [“In my experience, a castaway’s worst mistake is to hope too much and to do too little.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/in-my-experience-a-castaway-s-worst-mistake-is-to-hope-too-much-and/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Everybody is a castaway. Everybody's in the same boat. Yeah, it's easy to sink when you're all alone, but together, we can stay afloat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-ready-set/everybody-is-a-castaway-everybody-s-in-the-same-boat-yeah-it-s-easy/) [The Ready Set](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-ready-set/) > [I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/i-know-what-i-have-to-do-now-i-gotta-keep-breathing-because-tomorrow/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [“The Castaway" Obscurest night involved the sky, The Atlantic billows roared, When such a destined wretch as I, washed headlong from on board. Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/the-castaway-obscurest-night-involved-the-sky-the-atlantic-billows/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [ “\[T\]o be a castaway is to be caught up in grim and exhausting opposites.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/t-o-be-a-castaway-is-to-be-caught-up-in-grim-and-exhausting-opposites/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [The preacher who is concerned with gaining a reputation, rising in his profession, is always in bondage. The itch for bigness is a dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-havner/the-preacher-who-is-concerned-with-gaining-a-reputation-rising-in-his/) [Vance Havner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-havner/) > [A castaway in the sea was going down for the third time when he caught sight of a passing ship. Gathering his last strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/a-castaway-in-the-sea-was-going-down-for-the-third-time-when-he/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [The most melancholy thing about human nature, is, that a man may guide others into the path of salvation, without walking in it himself;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-augustus-william-of-prussia/the-most-melancholy-thing-about-human-nature-is-that-a-man-may-guide/) Prince Augustus William of Prussia > [Woe to him whom this world charms from Gospel duty. Woe to him who seeks to pour oil upon the waters when God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/woe-to-him-whom-this-world-charms-from-gospel-duty-woe-to-him-who/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [I had to keep breathing. Even though there was no reason to hope... I stayed alive. I kept breathing. And one day my logic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/i-had-to-keep-breathing-even-though-there-was-no-reason-to-hope-i/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > ['Castaway' is my favorite movie, and any time I read about a castaway or a story like that, it just interests me a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt-jr/castaway-is-my-favorite-movie-and-any-time-i-read-about-a-castaway-or/) [Dale Earnhardt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt-jr/) [Browse all 30 Castaway quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/castaway/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Not to leave planet Earth would be like castaways on a desert island not trying to escape...Sending humans to other planets ... will shape the future of the human race in ways we don't yet understand, and may determine whether we have any future at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Hawking" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/not-to-leave-planet-earth-would-be-like-castaways-on-a-desert-island/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Castaway" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/not-to-leave-planet-earth-would-be-like-castaways-on-a-desert-island/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/stephen-hawking-389_castaway_not-to-leave-planet-earth-would-be-like_1772800.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/stephen-hawking-389_castaway_not-to-leave-planet-earth-would-be-like_1772800.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/642/stephen-hawking-389_castaway_not-to-leave-planet-earth-would-be-like_1772800.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Not to leave planet Earth would be like castaways on a desert island not trying to escape...Sending humans…” — Stephen Hawking", "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": "Stephen Hawking", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Not to leave planet Earth would...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/not-to-leave-planet-earth-would-be-like-castaways-on-a-desert-island/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/not-to-leave-planet-earth-would-be-like-castaways-on-a-desert-island/#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 } } ] } ```