---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ever is a long time. But the boy knew…"
description: "\"Ever is a long time. But the boy knew what he knew. That ever is no time at all.\" — Cormac McCarthy"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/cormac-mccarthy-181_boys_ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-wha_3027932.jpg"
---

#  Ever is a long time. But the boy knew what he knew. That…

![“Ever is a long time. But the boy knew what he knew. That ever is no time at all.” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/cormac-mccarthy-181_boys_ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-wha_3027932.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/cormac-mccarthy-181_boys_ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-wha_3027932.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/cormac-mccarthy-181_boys_ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-wha_3027932.jpg)

> “Ever is a long time. But the boy knew what he knew. That ever is no time at all.”

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Time is fluid; the boy perceives eternity as both endless and immediate, blurring past and future.

**In simple terms:** Time feels both endless and immediate.

Key Takeaway

Embrace present moments.

Themes

time existence philosophy childhood

Mood

thoughtful philosophical

Type

literary reflective

When to use this quote

- contemplation
- life decisions
- grief processing

Key Concepts

eternity subjective perception memory

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “ever” mean to you?
- How does this view affect your choices?

A Different Perspective

The notion of timelessness can lead to fatalism.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [“Look around you. Ever is a long time. But the boy knew what he knew. That ever is no time at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/look-around-you-ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-what-he-knew/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [To Grandma: Once upon a time, there was a boy who flew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-colfer/to-grandma-once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-boy-who-flew/)

[Chris Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-colfer/)

> [I knew I could do it all this time,” said Harry, “Because I'd already done it... does that make sense?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-knew-i-could-do-it-all-this-time-said-harry-because-i-d-already/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If nothing else, now we knew where to find each other, even if only time would tell if either of us would ever come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/if-nothing-else-now-we-knew-where-to-find-each-other-even-if-only/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [That time when you see the boy that you love is with another girl . :(](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-time-when-you-see-the-boy-that-you-love-is-with-another-girl/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Once upon a time there was a boy who didn’t get to fall in love. The End.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-boy-who-didn-t-get-to-fall-in-love-the/)

[John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/)

> [“Then he turned it the third time, and the boy's ass fell off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/then-he-turned-it-the-third-time-and-the-boy-s-ass-fell-off/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“Once upon a time there was a boy who met a girl, because the universe conspired to help him find her. Her smile was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-boy-who-met-a-girl-because-the-universe/)

[Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/)

> [I didn't walk over and talk to him, though, not then. If I needed the time for a tree branch to become just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/i-didn-t-walk-over-and-talk-to-him-though-not-then-if-i-needed-the/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [It's my time boy. We going straight to the top, watch me live my nigga.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-cudi/it-s-my-time-boy-we-going-straight-to-the-top-watch-me-live-my-nigga/)

[Kid Cudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-cudi/)

> [“Austin stood. “All right, I will.” He walked to the door and stopped, his hand on the latch. He gazed back over his shoulder.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-heath/austin-stood-all-right-i-will-he-walked-to-the-door-and-stopped-his/)

[Lorraine Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-heath/)

> [I'm a big boy, and I knew what I was getting into when I got into TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/i-m-a-big-boy-and-i-knew-what-i-was-getting-into-when-i-got-into-tv/)

[Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/)

> [“Ciro took Enza's face in his hands. "I have loved you all of my life. I was a boy who knew nothing, but when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/ciro-took-enza-s-face-in-his-hands-i-have-loved-you-all-of-my-life-i/)

[Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/)

> [“The truth of the matter was no boy I knew lived up to the fantasy I’d created from the many books I’d read, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-boyd/the-truth-of-the-matter-was-no-boy-i-knew-lived-up-to-the-fantasy-i-d/)

[Natasha Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-boyd/)

> [“I'd used the word "beautiful" to describe another boy. I knew how it must have sounded to her. I also knew that it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/i-d-used-the-word-beautiful-to-describe-another-boy-i-knew-how-it/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

## More by Cormac McCarthy

> [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“The events of the world can have no separate life from the world. And yet the world itself can have no temporal view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-events-of-the-world-can-have-no-separate-life-from-the-world-and/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“I had two dreams about him after he died. I dont remember the first one all that well but it was about meetin him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-had-two-dreams-about-him-after-he-died-i-dont-remember-the-first/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“They set forth in a crimson dawn where sky and earth closed in a razorous plane. Out there dark little archipelagos of cloud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-set-forth-in-a-crimson-dawn-where-sky-and-earth-closed-in-a/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/nothing-where-all-was-burnt-to-ash-before-them-no-fires-were-to-be/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [He said that whether a man's life was writ in a book someplace or whether it took its form day by day was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-said-that-whether-a-man-s-life-was-writ-in-a-book-someplace-or/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“He lives in a room above a courtyard behind a tavern and he comes down at night like some fairybook beast to fight with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-lives-in-a-room-above-a-courtyard-behind-a-tavern-and-he-comes/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“Ultimo hombre. Last man standing, must've been one. Where'd he go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ultimo-hombre-last-man-standing-must-ve-been-one-where-d-he-go/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“To seek out the upright. No fall but preceded by a declination. He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/to-seek-out-the-upright-no-fall-but-preceded-by-a-declination-he-took/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“They went through the last of the cars and then walked up the track to the locomotive and climbed up to the catwalk. Rust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-went-through-the-last-of-the-cars-and-then-walked-up-the-track/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“Night fell upon them dark and starblown and the wagon grew swollen near mute with dew. On their chairs in such black immobility these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/night-fell-upon-them-dark-and-starblown-and-the-wagon-grew-swollen/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“When I was in school I studied biology. I learned that in making their experiments scientists will take some group - bacteria, mice, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-i-was-in-school-i-studied-biology-i-learned-that-in-making-their/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [ “We none of us knew him to speak \[Dutch\]. Asked him where he'd learned it you know what he said? What did he say.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/we-none-of-us-knew-him-to-speak-dutch-asked-him-where-he-d-learned-it/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“You know that the things you put it your head stay there, right?' 'Yeah. But you remember some things, don't you?' 'Yeah. You remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-know-that-the-things-you-put-it-your-head-stay-there-right-yeah/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

[Explore all 927 Cormac McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

## More Boys quotes

> [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/)

[John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/)

> [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/)

[Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/)

> [Lets face it this world is ruled by girls that why we must away pleases our girls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrawesome/lets-face-it-this-world-is-ruled-by-girls-that-why-we-must-away/)

MrAwesome

> [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/)

[Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/)

> [When it comes to bullying small businesses, Donald Trump is the poster boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-it-comes-to-bullying-small-businesses-donald-trump-is-the-poster/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/)

[Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/)

> [In the middle of a play, I go crazy and don't realize what I'm doing. I'll snap back to reality and I realize, 'Hey,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-bosworth/in-the-middle-of-a-play-i-go-crazy-and-don-t-realize-what-i-m-doing-i/)

[Brian Bosworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-bosworth/)

> [If Pete’s (Sampras) child is a girl, my son will like her; if he’s a boy, my son will defeat him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/if-pete-s-sampras-child-is-a-girl-my-son-will-like-her-if-he-s-a-boy/)

[Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/)

> [The tie's a multi purpose accessory, y'know, belt, school boy, Rambo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/the-tie-s-a-multi-purpose-accessory-y-know-belt-school-boy-rambo/)

[Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/)

> [The reason I went to an all-boys Catholic school was because they had the best football team. We won the state championship my junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/the-reason-i-went-to-an-all-boys-catholic-school-was-because-they-had/)

[Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/)

> [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [She had been dragged in the most humiliating of all dusts, the dust reserved for older women who let themselves be approached, on amorous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/she-had-been-dragged-in-the-most-humiliating-of-all-dusts-the-dust/)

[Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/)

> [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/)

[Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/)

> [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/)

[Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/)

[Browse all 7,168 Boys quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Ever is a long time. But the boy knew what he knew. That ever is no time at all.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cormac McCarthy"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-what-he-knew-that-ever-is-no/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Boys"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-what-he-knew-that-ever-is-no/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/cormac-mccarthy-181_boys_ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-wha_3027932.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/cormac-mccarthy-181_boys_ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-wha_3027932.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/cormac-mccarthy-181_boys_ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-wha_3027932.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Ever is a long time. But the boy knew what he knew. That ever is no time at all.” — Cormac McCarthy",
                "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": "Cormac McCarthy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Ever is a long time. But...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-what-he-knew-that-ever-is-no/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ever-is-a-long-time-but-the-boy-knew-what-he-knew-that-ever-is-no/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
