--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The universe is no narrow thing and the…" description: "\"The universe is no narrow thing and the order within it is not constrained by any latitude in its conception to repeat what exists in one part in any o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/cormac-mccarthy-181_compass_the-universe-is-no-narrow-thing-and-the_2508310.jpg" --- # The universe is no narrow thing and the order within it is… ![“The universe is no narrow thing and the order within it is not constrained by any latitude in its conception to repeat what exists in one part in any other part. Even in this world more things exist without our knowledge than with it and the order in creation which you see is that which you have…” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/cormac-mccarthy-181_compass_the-universe-is-no-narrow-thing-and-the_2508310.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/cormac-mccarthy-181_compass_the-universe-is-no-narrow-thing-and-the_2508310.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/cormac-mccarthy-181_compass_the-universe-is-no-narrow-thing-and-the_2508310.jpg) > “The universe is no narrow thing and the order within it is not constrained by any latitude in its conception to repeat what exists in one part in any other part. Even in this world more things exist without our knowledge than with it and the order in creation which you see is that which you have put there, like a string in a maze, so that you shall not lose your way. For existence has its own order and that no man’s mind can compass, that mind itself being but a fact among others.” [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. Existence follows an intrinsic order beyond human comprehension, guiding us through complexity. **In simple terms:** The world has its own hidden order. Key Takeaway Trust the underlying order of life. Themes mystery order philosophy existence Mood reflective thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - scientific research - spiritual practice - creative writing - problem solving Key Concepts cosmology chaos theory metaphysics Questions to Reflect On - How do you find meaning in apparent chaos? - What patterns do you notice in daily life? A Different Perspective Recognizing order may not eliminate uncertainty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compass/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Existence Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence-order-1130692/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Latitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latitude/) [Mazes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mazes/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strings/) [Things Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-exist-347843/) [This world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-world/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Narrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-narrow-1130693/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-existence-1130694/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Even in this world, more things exist without our knowledge than with it and the order in creation which you see is that which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/even-in-this-world-more-things-exist-without-our-knowledge-than-with/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“The truth about the world, he said, is that anything is possible. Had you not seen it all from birth and thereby bled it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-truth-about-the-world-he-said-is-that-anything-is-possible-had-2/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Since only a narrow range of the allowed values for, say, the fine structure constant will permit observers to exist in the Universe, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/since-only-a-narrow-range-of-the-allowed-values-for-say-the-fine/) [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) > [Perfection is not the way of existence Growth is the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/perfection-is-not-the-way-of-existence-growth-is-the-way/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [Once there were brook trout in the streams in the mountains. You could see them standing in the amber current where the white edges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/once-there-were-brook-trout-in-the-streams-in-the-mountains-you-could/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Men speak of blind destiny, a thing without scheme or purpose. But what sort of destiny is that? Each act in this world from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/men-speak-of-blind-destiny-a-thing-without-scheme-or-purpose-but-what/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Create a world in which these things do or do not exist, or in which they are extended in some way. Test reality against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/create-a-world-in-which-these-things-do-or-do-not-exist-or-in-which/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [“It takes the trust of God for things that exist, to wait on him for the evidence of things that do not exist. Faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/it-takes-the-trust-of-god-for-things-that-exist-to-wait-on-him-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I tend to like things that already exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/i-tend-to-like-things-that-already-exist/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [We operate with nothing but things which do not exist, with lines, planes, bodies, atoms, divisible time, divisible space - how should explanation even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-operate-with-nothing-but-things-which-do-not-exist-with-lines/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“All things exist in as simple a form as necessity dictates. When a thing is labeled 'complex,' that's just a roundabout way of saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lee-martinez/all-things-exist-in-as-simple-a-form-as-necessity-dictates-when-a/) [A. Lee Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lee-martinez/) > [True scholarship consists in knowing not what things exist, but what they mean; it is not memory but judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/true-scholarship-consists-in-knowing-not-what-things-exist-but-what/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [“But all them things exist," said Nanny Ogg. "That's no call to go around believing in them. It only encourages 'em.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-all-them-things-exist-said-nanny-ogg-that-s-no-call-to-go-around/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Since things neither exist nor do not exist, are neither real nor unreal, are utterly beyond adopting and rejecting - one might as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-things-neither-exist-nor-do-not-exist-are-neither-real-nor/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We should be focusing on building things that do not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/we-should-be-focusing-on-building-things-that-do-not-exist/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) ## 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 Compass quotes > [It signified nothing that the raw, male magnetism that emanated from him probably made compasses malfunction in his presence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaelen-foley/it-signified-nothing-that-the-raw-male-magnetism-that-emanated-from/) [Gaelen Foley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaelen-foley/) > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-henry/families-are-the-compass-that-guide-us-they-are-the-inspiration-to/) [Brad Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-henry/) > [In a compass, we got north, south, east and west, right? But in between that, you got things like north-east - now that, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bj-the-chicago-kid/in-a-compass-we-got-north-south-east-and-west-right-but-in-between/) [BJ the Chicago Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bj-the-chicago-kid/) > [The only two good words that can be said for a hurricane are that it gives sufficient warning of its approach, and that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-only-two-good-words-that-can-be-said-for-a-hurricane-are-that-it/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [put the car in "d" set the compass to "n" and get the "f"out of there](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/put-the-car-in-d-set-the-compass-to-n-and-get-the-f-out-of-there/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [Anger is an emotion, not a compass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-tancredo/anger-is-an-emotion-not-a-compass/) [Tom Tancredo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-tancredo/) > [“Why a compass?” Ty asked. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Zane’s yet. Zane smiled and ran his thumb across the pendant. “Because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-roux/why-a-compass-ty-asked-he-hadn-t-taken-his-eyes-off-zane-s-yet-zane/) [Abigail Roux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-roux/) > [I take no pleasure in seeing DeLay swing gently in the wind. But the thing I believe in the most is ethics. If someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/i-take-no-pleasure-in-seeing-delay-swing-gently-in-the-wind-but-the/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [There is an ancient Indian saying: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." If we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [People who do not know the Bible well have been gulled into thinking it is a good guide to morality. This mistaken view may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/people-who-do-not-know-the-bible-well-have-been-gulled-into-thinking/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I have told you of the Spaniard who always put on his spectacles when about to eat cherries, that they might look bigger and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/i-have-told-you-of-the-spaniard-who-always-put-on-his-spectacles-when/) [Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/) > [I have an excellent internal compass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-bonneville/i-have-an-excellent-internal-compass/) [Hugh Bonneville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-bonneville/) > [We must be born with an intuition of mortality. Before we know the word for it. Before we know that there are words. Out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/we-must-be-born-with-an-intuition-of-mortality-before-we-know-the/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [It is cruel for you to leave your daughter, so full of hopeand resolve, to suffer the humiliations of disfranchisement she already feels so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-b-anthony/it-is-cruel-for-you-to-leave-your-daughter-so-full-of-hopeand-resolve/) [Susan B. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-b-anthony/) [Browse all 569 Compass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compass/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The universe is no narrow thing and the order within it is not constrained by any latitude in its conception to repeat what exists in one part in any other part. 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