--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is eternity? You're on the checkout…" description: "\"What is eternity? You're on the checkout line at a supermarket. There are seven people in front of you. They are all old. They all have two carts and c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/emo-philips-1788_carts_what-is-eternity-you-re-on-the-checkout_2069545.png" --- # What is eternity? You're on the checkout line at a… ![“What is eternity? You're on the checkout line at a supermarket. There are seven people in front of you. They are all old. They all have two carts and coupons for every item. They are all paying by check. None of them have ID. It's the checkout girl's first day on the job. She doesn't speak any…” quote by Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/emo-philips-1788_carts_what-is-eternity-you-re-on-the-checkout_2069545.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/emo-philips-1788_carts_what-is-eternity-you-re-on-the-checkout_2069545.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/emo-philips-1788_carts_what-is-eternity-you-re-on-the-checkout_2069545.png) > “What is eternity? You're on the checkout line at a supermarket. There are seven people in front of you. They are all old. They all have two carts and coupons for every item. They are all paying by check. None of them have ID. It's the checkout girl's first day on the job. She doesn't speak any English. Take away fifteen minutes from that, and you begin to get an idea of what eternity is.” [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Eternity is imagined as an endless, mundane queue where time stretches infinitely. **In simple terms:** Eternity feels like a never‑ending line. Key Takeaway Consider how time perception shapes meaning. Themes time perception humor Mood playful thoughtful Type humorous philosophical When to use this quote - waiting rooms - long projects - daily routines Key Concepts Existentialism absurdity Questions to Reflect On - How does routine affect your sense of eternity? - Do you find humor in endless waiting? A Different Perspective The analogy simplifies a complex concept, risking trivialization. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carts/) [Checkout Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/checkout-girl-2003306/) [Checkout Line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/checkout-line-1013141/) [Checkouts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/checkouts/) [Checks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/checks/) [Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity/) [Eternity Checkout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity-checkout-3989518/) [Fifteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifteen/) [First Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-day/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Fronts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fronts/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Items](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/items/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Line Supermarket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/line-supermarket-3989519/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Seven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seven/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Supermarkets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supermarkets/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) ## Related quotes > [You'll be in the checkout line at the supermarket, and there will be one of our movies in between the Certs and 'The National…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ben-garant/you-ll-be-in-the-checkout-line-at-the-supermarket-and-there-will-be/) [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) > [The local grocery store was a gathering, a community place. 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She has coupons for coupons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/my-mother-is-the-kind-of-woman-you-don-t-want-to-be-in-line-behind-at/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [“People who buy the little jars and boxes aren’t staying. They only want enough to last them while they’re here.” --Ginger the Checkout girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-jenvey/people-who-buy-the-little-jars-and-boxes-aren-t-staying-they-only/) [Bruce Jenvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-jenvey/) > [I know what it's like to have to put back food at the checkout line because you don't have enough money and those kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-haaland/i-know-what-it-s-like-to-have-to-put-back-food-at-the-checkout-line/) [Deb Haaland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-haaland/) > [A fun thing to do in the checkout line is to take one thing from the cart in front of you and see if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-beryl-zelinski/a-fun-thing-to-do-in-the-checkout-line-is-to-take-one-thing-from-the/) [Victoria Beryl Zelinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-beryl-zelinski/) > [Just hit the express checkout line with 17 items instead of 15, I'm not messing around this year!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kennedy/just-hit-the-express-checkout-line-with-17-items-instead-of-15-i-m/) [Jason Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kennedy/) > [Holocausts do not amaze me. Rapes and child slavery do not amaze me. And Franklin, I know you feel otherwise, but Kevin does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/holocausts-do-not-amaze-me-rapes-and-child-slavery-do-not-amaze-me/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [Went to the grocery store, got everything on my list and went up to the checkout. I put a bag of pet food for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-engvall/went-to-the-grocery-store-got-everything-on-my-list-and-went-up-to/) [Bill Engvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-engvall/) > [Waiting rooms were made for books-of course! 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Here's $10, go and save 1,000 kids from blindness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-give-money-to-unicef-because-i-like-the-bang-for-your-buck-aspect/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [Libertarians believe consenting adults have the right to do whatever they choose, except band together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/libertarians-believe-consenting-adults-have-the-right-to-do-whatever/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [I love England. 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Little things like being spanked every day by a middle-aged woman:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/you-don-t-appreciate-a-lot-of-stuff-in-school-until-you-get-older/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [Thinking up jokes is easy. The hard part is trying them out on stage, because you never know if they're funny until you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/thinking-up-jokes-is-easy-the-hard-part-is-trying-them-out-on-stage/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) [Explore all 208 Emo Philips quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) ## More Carts quotes > [The four cautions: Beware a woman in front of you, beware a horse behind of you, beware a cart beside of you, and beware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-o-neill/the-four-cautions-beware-a-woman-in-front-of-you-beware-a-horse/) [Jamie O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-o-neill/) > [It was right after 9/11 and I decided to walk around the grounds of the Pentagon, because I had never been there. 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You fill your cart as you go, and that's that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnham-schwartz/there-s-no-backward-and-no-forward-no-day-other-than-this-you-fill/) [John Burnham Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnham-schwartz/) > [What makes us a bit nervous is, in this instant age, to release something that might take more than one listen. Where everything is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-martin/what-makes-us-a-bit-nervous-is-in-this-instant-age-to-release/) [Chris Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-martin/) > [do you fix a wheel that isn't broken, or do you wait until the cart collapses?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/do-you-fix-a-wheel-that-isn-t-broken-or-do-you-wait-until-the-cart/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [In the opening to the Mary Tyler Moore Show Mary's in the supermarket, hurrying through the aisles. 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You're on the checkout line at a supermarket. There are seven people in front of you. They are all old. They all have two carts and coupons for every item. They are all paying by check. None of them have ID. It's the checkout girl's first day on the job. She doesn't speak any English. 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