The last glacial period was characterised by a highly var- iable climate including abrupt changes such as Heinrich and Dansgaard-Oeschger events. In contrast, the Holocene time period was observed as relatively stable. This variabi- lity change is often discussed based on data from polar ice cores, particularly from Greenland. Here, we contrast the polar ice core-based variability change with the variability change recorded by a global compilation of multi-proxy records. Estimated spatial patterns of changes point towards mechanisms generating glacial and Holocene climate variability. Furthermore, our analysis allows insight into the abilities of the different pro- xy sensors concerning the recording of climate variability.