Astronomer Carl Sagan, who inspired the iconic Pale Blue Dot image of the Earth, tells this interviewer it's "pathetic" to consider ourselves as important given our relative size and number in the total ensemble of things. William Lane Craig has a good philosophical response to Sagan's assertion. I just wrote a devotional entry on this very topic, where I look at it from a related perspective. Here's an excerpt: Our human hearts are such a paradox. They inflate our fleeting worries to cosmic proportions, yet whisper that we’re mere dust-creatures on a slightly larger speck of dust in an endless universe. We crave significance, a sense of being cherished, but an image like this can shatter our hopes of ever being worthy. If importance were measured only by size, we’d be lost. But “the Lord does not look at the things people look at” (1 Samuel 16:7). Consider the nucleus of an atom—unfathomably tiny, yet brimming with energy to fuel the Sun. Or a single living cell, microscopic yet vastly more intricate than galaxies of stars. Consciousness, an unquantifiable marvel, ranks among the universe’s greatest mysteries. It took eons and a sprawling cosmos to forge the chemistry of life, and we know of only one pale blue dot in the vast cosmic sea that cradles it. Earth is rare. It is precious. And on this fragile mote, caught fleetingly in a sunbeam, the most extraordinary event in history unfolded. The God who spun the stars stooped low, donned a cloak of dust, and walked among us. This pale blue speck became the stage for a universe-sized act of love: Jesus Christ’s willing sacrifice on the cross, rendering each of us—every dust-creature—worthy. The scale of the cosmos may dwarf us, but we are exalted by His love.

Wisdom >>> intelligence We almost worship intelligence in this culture, but why? Intelligence is not a virtue. It's a trait, like physical prowess. It allows people to do particular things bigger and faster than others, but it doesn't make them "good" or grant them access to transcendent truths that are unattainable by less intelligent people. There are super-smart people who are functional, wise, and benevolent. But there are also super-smart people who are dysfunctional, wrong about a lot of things, or just plain evil. Do not worship intelligence. Instead, revere wisdom. Wisdom is accessible to every one of us, if we have the one key to attaining it: humility. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. – James 4:10