What is the meaning of small world?

"Small world" is a saying which is used to denote that the world at times feels surprisingly inter-connected with a great likelihood of encountering known or related persons in unexpected places through unlikely connections. It emphasizes the vast but close-knit nature of interconnected human relationships which transcend geographic boundaries, resulting in a sense of familiarity or coincidence in different parts of the world. Its usage often stems from an element of surprise which arises when such unexpected encounter or connections appear and lead to the utterance of these three words expressing this idea.