--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Things that can't go on forever, won't…" description: "\"Things that can't go on forever, won't. Debts that can't be paid, won't be.\" — Glenn Reynolds" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2e/glenn-reynolds-16238_debt_things-that-can-t-go-on-forever-won-t-de_2628873.png" --- # Things that can't go on forever, won't. Debts that can't… ![“Things that can't go on forever, won't. Debts that can't be paid, won't be.” quote by Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2e/glenn-reynolds-16238_debt_things-that-can-t-go-on-forever-won-t-de_2628873.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2e/glenn-reynolds-16238_debt_things-that-can-t-go-on-forever-won-t-de_2628873.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2e/glenn-reynolds-16238_debt_things-that-can-t-go-on-forever-won-t-de_2628873.png) > “Things that can't go on forever, won't. Debts that can't be paid, won't be.” [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unsustainable conditions inevitably end; debts that cannot be repaid will also cease, implying natural limits to excess. **In simple terms:** Things that cannot continue will stop; debts too. Key Takeaway Recognize limits. Themes economics mortality balance Mood cautious reflective Type financial philosophical When to use this quote - budgeting - risk management - life cycles Key Concepts financial planning philosophy of impermanence Questions to Reflect On - What defines an unsustainable situation? - How to responsibly address debt? A Different Perspective May overlook moral responsibility to pay debts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Debts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debts/) ## Related quotes > [When debts are not paid because they cannot be paid, the best thing to do is not talk about them, and shuffle the cards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilo-jos-cela/when-debts-are-not-paid-because-they-cannot-be-paid-the-best-thing-to/) [Camilo Jose Cela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilo-jos-cela/) > [“There are some debts that can't be paid with money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-j-carroll/there-are-some-debts-that-can-t-be-paid-with-money/) [Steven J. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-j-carroll/) > [No generation has a right to contract debts greater than can be paid off during the course of its own existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/no-generation-has-a-right-to-contract-debts-greater-than-can-be-paid/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Debts and lies are generally mixed together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/debts-and-lies-are-generally-mixed-together/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [Should we really let our people starve so we can pay our debts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-nyerere/should-we-really-let-our-people-starve-so-we-can-pay-our-debts/) [Julius Nyerere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-nyerere/) > [Students who acquire large debts putting themselves through school are unlikely to think about changing society. When you trap people in a system of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/students-who-acquire-large-debts-putting-themselves-through-school/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Everyone in our society has had to make a contribution towards dealing with the debts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-osborne/everyone-in-our-society-has-had-to-make-a-contribution-towards/) [George Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-osborne/) > [One must have some sort of occupation nowadays. If I hadn't my debts I shouldn't have anything to think about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/one-must-have-some-sort-of-occupation-nowadays-if-i-hadn-t-my-debts-i/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Death pays all debts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/death-pays-all-debts/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [ Debts and lies are generally mixed together. \[Fr., Debtes et mensonges sont ordinairement ensemble rallies.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/debts-and-lies-are-generally-mixed-together-fr-debtes-et-mensonges/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [True friendship and love are the only things that last forever, even after the Energizer Bunny stops going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-davis/true-friendship-and-love-are-the-only-things-that-last-forever-even/) [Amy Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-davis/) > [I learned early on from my dad that things can't last forever. I always think about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-hart/i-learned-early-on-from-my-dad-that-things-can-t-last-forever-i/) [Carey Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-hart/) > [“Who am I to say that these things might not be forever? Who is Peter Van Houten to assert as fact the conjecture that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/who-am-i-to-say-that-these-things-might-not-be-forever-who-is-peter/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, its endurance. Love will never come to an end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/there-is-nothing-love-cannot-face-there-is-no-limit-to-its-faith-its/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [“Because before we'd met, we'd both thought in our own ways that our lives were over just as they'd begun, that we were stuck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-chamberlain/because-before-we-d-met-we-d-both-thought-in-our-own-ways-that-our/) [Sarah Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-chamberlain/) ## More by Glenn Reynolds > [I'd actually love to think that I could trust Kerry on national security. But the only way I could do that, at this point,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/i-d-actually-love-to-think-that-i-could-trust-kerry-on-national/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [A 'well regulated militia' was thus one that was well-trained and equipped, not one that was 'well-regulated' in the modern sense of being subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/a-well-regulated-militia-was-thus-one-that-was-well-trained-and/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [One reason that a lot of people see me as cheerful and optimistic is that my expectations are really rather low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/one-reason-that-a-lot-of-people-see-me-as-cheerful-and-optimistic-is/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [But remember: All this talk of tolerance and diversity is basically just a way for one group of white people to pursue power over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/but-remember-all-this-talk-of-tolerance-and-diversity-is-basically/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [The purpose of the right to bear arms is twofold; to allow individuals to protect themselves and their families, and to ensure a body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/the-purpose-of-the-right-to-bear-arms-is-twofold-to-allow-individuals/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [Personally, I'd be delighted to live in a country where happily married gay couples had closets full of assault weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/personally-i-d-be-delighted-to-live-in-a-country-where-happily/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [The nannyism is partly to distract from the corruption — and partly just another opportunity to leverage it. A good general rule is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/the-nannyism-is-partly-to-distract-from-the-corruption-and-partly/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [When people say things like "don't let this moment pass without acting on gun control," what they're really saying is our arguments are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/when-people-say-things-like-don-t-let-this-moment-pass-without-acting/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [That's the thing about conspiracy theories: in a comforting sort of way, they give rise to the feeling that someone, somewhere, knows what's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/that-s-the-thing-about-conspiracy-theories-in-a-comforting-sort-of/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [Let's be honest: Kerry has no idea what it is to be even a middle-class white in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/let-s-be-honest-kerry-has-no-idea-what-it-is-to-be-even-a-middle/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [Government, we are sometimes told, is just another word for things we choose to do together. Like a lot of things politicians say, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/government-we-are-sometimes-told-is-just-another-word-for-things-we/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/political-wire-is-one-of-the-absolute-must-read-sites-in-the/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [The proverbial thirteenth chime of the clock - is not only wrong itself, but calls into question everything that came before it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/the-proverbial-thirteenth-chime-of-the-clock-is-not-only-wrong-itself/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [Hmm. Petty? Yes. Ineffectual? Yes. Infuriating and off-putting? Yes. Counterproductive? Yes. It's got to be a product of the French Foreign Ministry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/hmm-petty-yes-ineffectual-yes-infuriating-and-off-putting-yes/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [As my father-in-law once said, when they talk about taxes it's always for teachers, firemen, and police - but when they spend your taxes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/as-my-father-in-law-once-said-when-they-talk-about-taxes-it-s-always/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) [Explore all 40 Glenn Reynolds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) ## More Debt quotes > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Praise will come to those whose kindness leaves you without debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-finn/praise-will-come-to-those-whose-kindness-leaves-you-without-debt/) [Neil Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-finn/) > [“Most people, given more money, only get into more debt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-kiyosaki/most-people-given-more-money-only-get-into-more-debt/) [Robert T. Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-kiyosaki/) > [“An honest man is a debtless man, he doesn't owe anyone anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-honest-man-is-a-debtless-man-he-doesn-t-owe-anyone-anything/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/) [Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/) > [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/without-a-trace-of-irony-i-can-say-i-have-been-blessed-with-brilliant/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [I love Black Sabbath. They made an amazing contribution to music today. Almost every band that made it big in the Nineties owed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-love-black-sabbath-they-made-an-amazing-contribution-to-music-today/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [“The human eye is restricted to see the useen, because there’s a price to be paid to the rulers of this image and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/the-human-eye-is-restricted-to-see-the-useen-because-there-s-a-price/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [It is a well-settled principle of the international code that where one nation owes another a liquidated debt which it refuses or neglects to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/it-is-a-well-settled-principle-of-the-international-code-that-where/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [Student loans have been helpful to many. But they offer neither incentive nor assistance to those students who, by reason of family or other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/student-loans-have-been-helpful-to-many-but-they-offer-neither/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Our sins are debts that none can pay but Christ. It is not our tears, but His blood; it is not our sighs, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/our-sins-are-debts-that-none-can-pay-but-christ-it-is-not-our-tears/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [Instead of explaining the sober facts of mechanics and electricity, I want to say a few words about the debt which we owe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/instead-of-explaining-the-sober-facts-of-mechanics-and-electricity-i/) [Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/) > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) Browse all 2,345 Debt quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Things that can't go on forever, won't. Debts that can't be paid, won't be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glenn Reynolds" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/things-that-can-t-go-on-forever-won-t-debts-that-can-t-be-paid-won-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Debt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/things-that-can-t-go-on-forever-won-t-debts-that-can-t-be-paid-won-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2e/glenn-reynolds-16238_debt_things-that-can-t-go-on-forever-won-t-de_2628873.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2e/glenn-reynolds-16238_debt_things-that-can-t-go-on-forever-won-t-de_2628873.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2e/glenn-reynolds-16238_debt_things-that-can-t-go-on-forever-won-t-de_2628873.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Things that can't go on forever, won't. Debts that can't be paid, won't be.” — Glenn Reynolds", "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": "Glenn Reynolds", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Things that can't go on forever,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/things-that-can-t-go-on-forever-won-t-debts-that-can-t-be-paid-won-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/things-that-can-t-go-on-forever-won-t-debts-that-can-t-be-paid-won-t/#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 } } ] } ```