--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're still under the weight of this…" description: "\"We're still under the weight of this impression that the ocean is too big to fail, that the planet is too big to fail.\" — Sylvia Earle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/sylvia-earle-1756_bigs_we-re-still-under-the-weight-of-this-imp_1372293.jpg" --- # We're still under the weight of this impression that the… ![“We're still under the weight of this impression that the ocean is too big to fail, that the planet is too big to fail.” quote by Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/sylvia-earle-1756_bigs_we-re-still-under-the-weight-of-this-imp_1372293.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/sylvia-earle-1756_bigs_we-re-still-under-the-weight-of-this-imp_1372293.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/sylvia-earle-1756_bigs_we-re-still-under-the-weight-of-this-imp_1372293.jpg) > “We're still under the weight of this impression that the ocean is too big to fail, that the planet is too big to fail.” [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We feel overwhelmed by the planet’s size, yet that can paralyze action. **In simple terms:** The Earth feels too big to protect. Key Takeaway Act despite feeling overwhelmed. Themes environment responsibility scale Mood concerned hopeful Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - Climate activism - community projects - policy advocacy Key Concepts Ecological stewardship psychology of risk Questions to Reflect On - What small steps can you take for the planet? - How does scale affect your motivation? A Different Perspective Ignoring scale can lead to inaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) ## Related quotes > [An ocean traveler has even more vividly the impression that the ocean is made of waves than that it is made of water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-ocean-traveler-has-even-more-vividly-the-impression-that-the-ocean/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If we fail, the planet will grow sterile and your people will die in hunger, thirst and waves of plagues. Our people and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-stikmanz/if-we-fail-the-planet-will-grow-sterile-and-your-people-will-die-in/) [Robert Stikmanz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-stikmanz/) > [We humans have this idea that the ocean is so big, so vast, so resilient that it doesn't matter what we do to it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-humans-have-this-idea-that-the-ocean-is-so-big-so-vast-so/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [“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/) > [As a child, I was aware of the widely-held attitude that the ocean is so big, so resilient that we could use the sea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/as-a-child-i-was-aware-of-the-widely-held-attitude-that-the-ocean-is/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [I love to swim in the ocean in big waves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-maccallum/i-love-to-swim-in-the-ocean-in-big-waves/) [Martha MacCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-maccallum/) > [People think that the ocean is big enough to sustain anything we throw at it - its hard to get into your head that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/people-think-that-the-ocean-is-big-enough-to-sustain-anything-we/) [Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/) > [All the tears I've waisted on you could fill the pacific ocean; and no one can drain an ocean that big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/all-the-tears-i-ve-waisted-on-you-could-fill-the-pacific-ocean-and-no/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“The Ocean is big, I am small, yes. But I am nothing, And I realize that it is worth the struggle To Live And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-grant/the-ocean-is-big-i-am-small-yes-but-i-am-nothing-and-i-realize-that/) [Amy Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-grant/) > [If they are too big to fail, make them smaller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/if-they-are-too-big-to-fail-make-them-smaller/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [We also cannot allow Wall Street banks to rewrite the Second Amendment just because they're too big to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/we-also-cannot-allow-wall-street-banks-to-rewrite-the-second/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [The only way to make sure no bank is too big to fail is to make sure no bank is too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/the-only-way-to-make-sure-no-bank-is-too-big-to-fail-is-to-make-sure/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [Any bank that is too big to fail is too big. Period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/any-bank-that-is-too-big-to-fail-is-too-big-period/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [We must learn the lessons of the 2008 crash: no company should be able to become too big to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gardiner/we-must-learn-the-lessons-of-the-2008-crash-no-company-should-be-able/) [Barry Gardiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gardiner/) > [The too-big-to-fail reform project is massive in scope. In my view, it holds real promise. But the project will take years to complete. Success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-powell/the-too-big-to-fail-reform-project-is-massive-in-scope-in-my-view-it/) [Jerome Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-powell/) ## More by Sylvia Earle > [We still have 10 percent of the sharks. We still have half of the coral reefs. However, if we wait another 50 years, opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-still-have-10-percent-of-the-sharks-we-still-have-half-of-the/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [Health to the ocean means health for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/health-to-the-ocean-means-health-for-us/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [Evolution is not something to be feared. It's to be celebrated, embraced, and understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/evolution-is-not-something-to-be-feared-it-s-to-be-celebrated/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [We are depleting this immense diversity and abundance of life, and it matters tremendously for the future of the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-are-depleting-this-immense-diversity-and-abundance-of-life-and-it/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [My mother was known as the 'bird lady' of the neighborhood. Anything injured, or any unusual creature somebody found, they would always come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/my-mother-was-known-as-the-bird-lady-of-the-neighborhood-anything/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [There is this sweet spot in time when we have an opportunity to stop killing sharks and tunas and swordfish and other wildlife in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/there-is-this-sweet-spot-in-time-when-we-have-an-opportunity-to-stop/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [The sudden release of five million barrels of oil, enormous quantities of methane and two million gallons of toxic dispersants into an already greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-sudden-release-of-five-million-barrels-of-oil-enormous-quantities/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [I've always said, 'Underwater or on top, men and women are compatible.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/i-ve-always-said-underwater-or-on-top-men-and-women-are-compatible/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [With respect to the ocean being the heart of our blue planet: We are often asked, 'How much protection is enough?' We can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/with-respect-to-the-ocean-being-the-heart-of-our-blue-planet-we-are/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [If the sea is sick, we'll feel it. If it dies, we die. Our future and the state of the oceans are one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/if-the-sea-is-sick-we-ll-feel-it-if-it-dies-we-die-our-future-and-the/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [The ocean seemed like a sea of Eden. But now we are facing paradise lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-ocean-seemed-like-a-sea-of-eden-but-now-we-are-facing-paradise/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [When you think about the real cost of so-called cheap energy that has driven our prosperity to unprecedented levels, for some of us, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/when-you-think-about-the-real-cost-of-so-called-cheap-energy-that-has/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [When I arrived on the planet, there were only two billion. Wildlife was more abundant, we were less so; now the situation is reversed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/when-i-arrived-on-the-planet-there-were-only-two-billion-wildlife-was/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [I've had the joy of spending thousands of hours under the sea. I wish I could take people along to see what I see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/i-ve-had-the-joy-of-spending-thousands-of-hours-under-the-sea-i-wish/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [The observations that have developed over the years have given us perspective about where we fit in. We are newcomers, really recent arrivals on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-observations-that-have-developed-over-the-years-have-given-us/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) [Explore all 211 Sylvia Earle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [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/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [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/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're still under the weight of this impression that the ocean is too big to fail, that the planet is too big to fail.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sylvia Earle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-re-still-under-the-weight-of-this-impression-that-the-ocean-is-too/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-re-still-under-the-weight-of-this-impression-that-the-ocean-is-too/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/sylvia-earle-1756_bigs_we-re-still-under-the-weight-of-this-imp_1372293.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/sylvia-earle-1756_bigs_we-re-still-under-the-weight-of-this-imp_1372293.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/sylvia-earle-1756_bigs_we-re-still-under-the-weight-of-this-imp_1372293.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We're still under the weight of this impression that the ocean is too big to fail, that the planet is too…” — Sylvia Earle", "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": "Sylvia Earle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We're still under the weight of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-re-still-under-the-weight-of-this-impression-that-the-ocean-is-too/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-re-still-under-the-weight-of-this-impression-that-the-ocean-is-too/#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 } } ] } ```