--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Marriage is an ongoing thing, man. You…" description: "\"Marriage is an ongoing thing, man. You continue to work at it. But it's joyful. And joyous. I don't care if people are living without a marriage certif..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/james-mcavoy-4316_care_marriage-is-an-ongoing-thing-man-you-con_1308471.jpg" --- # Marriage is an ongoing thing, man. You continue to work at… ![“Marriage is an ongoing thing, man. You continue to work at it. But it's joyful. And joyous. I don't care if people are living without a marriage certificate. It's just about people, in some way, saying to each other, 'I commit to you. I will help you in this life.'” quote by James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/james-mcavoy-4316_care_marriage-is-an-ongoing-thing-man-you-con_1308471.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/james-mcavoy-4316_care_marriage-is-an-ongoing-thing-man-you-con_1308471.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/james-mcavoy-4316_care_marriage-is-an-ongoing-thing-man-you-con_1308471.jpg) > “Marriage is an ongoing thing, man. You continue to work at it. But it's joyful. And joyous. I don't care if people are living without a marriage certificate. It's just about people, in some way, saying to each other, 'I commit to you. I will help you in this life.'” [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marriage requires continual effort and mutual commitment, bringing joy regardless of legal status. **In simple terms:** Marriage needs work and commitment, not paperwork. Key Takeaway Invest in daily partnership. Themes commitment joy relationships Mood hopeful reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - family life - cohabitation - long‑term partnership Key Concepts social contract emotional labor Questions to Reflect On - How do you nurture commitment daily? - What role does joy play in sustaining marriage? A Different Perspective Legal recognition isn’t essential for a fulfilling partnership. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Joyful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joyful/) [Joyous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joyous/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [This life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-life/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [It was a confirmation of a connection that already existed. And it was a bond that extended far beyond the borders of a shared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/it-was-a-confirmation-of-a-connection-that-already-existed-and-it-was/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [People should be \_very\_ careful when choosing the future fathers and mothers of their children. For that reason alone, it is extremely mean to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/people-should-be-very-careful-when-choosing-the-future-fathers-and/) [Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/) > [I was married once--in San Francisco. I haven't seen her for many years. The great earthquake and fire in 1906 destroyed the marriage certificate.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-fields/i-was-married-once-in-san-francisco-i-haven-t-seen-her-for-many-years/) [W. C. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-fields/) > [“If people do not believe in permanent marriage, it is perhaps better that they should live together unmarried than that they should make vows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-people-do-not-believe-in-permanent-marriage-it-is-perhaps-better/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [Do not believe that living together before marriage guarantees the future. By burning certain stages, you risk burning love itself. Time needs to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/do-not-believe-that-living-together-before-marriage-guarantees-the/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [I'm not a big advocate of living together before marriage. It can be the right thing, but it can also leave two people stuck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-yoffe/i-m-not-a-big-advocate-of-living-together-before-marriage-it-can-be/) [Emily Yoffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-yoffe/) > [I look upon Virginia as a rib taken from Britain's side... While they both proceed as living under the marriage-compact, this Eve might thrive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-spotswood/i-look-upon-virginia-as-a-rib-taken-from-britain-s-side-while-they/) Alexander Spotswood > [The marriage certificate is a licence that is obtained before the driving test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/the-marriage-certificate-is-a-licence-that-is-obtained-before-the/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [There is no expiration date of the marriage certificate, but it could ever end the relationship,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/there-is-no-expiration-date-of-the-marriage-certificate-but-it-could/) Mak\_786 > [A marriage certificate is just another word for a work permit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-rowland/a-marriage-certificate-is-just-another-word-for-a-work-permit/) [Helen Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-rowland/) > [There is no expiry date of marriage certificate but this relation can expire any time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/there-is-no-expiry-date-of-marriage-certificate-but-this-relation-can/) Mak\_786 > [No birth certificate is issued when friendship is born. There is nothing tangible. There is just a feeling that your life is different and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-tesich/no-birth-certificate-is-issued-when-friendship-is-born-there-is/) Steve Tesich > [Now I have something. In fact, I have posted on the Internet more than Obama has. My birth certificate actually has signatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orly-taitz/now-i-have-something-in-fact-i-have-posted-on-the-internet-more-than/) Orly Taitz > [Bonds are guaranteed certificates of confiscation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-pick/bonds-are-guaranteed-certificates-of-confiscation/) Franz Pick > [He removed several pages of death certificates, which were picked up by another breeze and sent into the trees. Some would fall with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/he-removed-several-pages-of-death-certificates-which-were-picked-up/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) ## More by James McAvoy > [I like cooking, but I don't think I could be a chef. Everyone from the ground up does terrible hours, whether you've just walked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-like-cooking-but-i-don-t-think-i-could-be-a-chef-everyone-from-the/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [Shooting films in Britain is always difficult, because we've never got enough money to make them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/shooting-films-in-britain-is-always-difficult-because-we-ve-never-got/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [I'd like to keep work work and life life. It means you've got your life to come back to, somewhere to come home to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-d-like-to-keep-work-work-and-life-life-it-means-you-ve-got-your/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [I like playing sport, and I like doing physical stuff. I like hiking and I like climbing and I like playing sport. I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-like-playing-sport-and-i-like-doing-physical-stuff-i-like-hiking/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [I wanted to join the navy to get some perspective on the world and explore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-wanted-to-join-the-navy-to-get-some-perspective-on-the-world-and/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [I did undergo hypnotherapy, and it didn't work! The guy couldn't put me under. I was very disappointed. I was very keen to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-did-undergo-hypnotherapy-and-it-didn-t-work-the-guy-couldn-t-put-me/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [If a scene is three pages long, quite often people break it up and do a page, say 'cut' then move on to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/if-a-scene-is-three-pages-long-quite-often-people-break-it-up-and-do/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [In a love scene that's really advantageous because you don't have that horrible moment of: "We don't really know what we're supposed to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/in-a-love-scene-that-s-really-advantageous-because-you-don-t-have/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [That's the main thing that attracts me - characters who have big journeys. I like playing those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/that-s-the-main-thing-that-attracts-me-characters-who-have-big/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [I think fear is one of the natural states of most actors, to be honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-think-fear-is-one-of-the-natural-states-of-most-actors-to-be-honest/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [I've been in a few fights and I know what it's like to get punched in the face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-ve-been-in-a-few-fights-and-i-know-what-it-s-like-to-get-punched-in/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [I learned something from a string of failed relationships. You don't see a pattern quickly. You see it over time. I learned to stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-learned-something-from-a-string-of-failed-relationships-you-don-t/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [I don't mind playing somebody who's not likable, or makes the audience feel slightly conflicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-don-t-mind-playing-somebody-who-s-not-likable-or-makes-the-audience/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [I've spent a long time giving people the benefit of the doubt, and I'm tired of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-ve-spent-a-long-time-giving-people-the-benefit-of-the-doubt-and-i-m/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [My favorite name of a fandom is Benedict Cumberbatch's - 'the Cumberbatches' is just the best name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/my-favorite-name-of-a-fandom-is-benedict-cumberbatch-s-the/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) [Explore all 112 James McAvoy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) ## More Care quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/) [James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Marriage is an ongoing thing, man. You continue to work at it. But it's joyful. And joyous. I don't care if people are living without a marriage certificate. It's just about people, in some way, saying to each other, 'I commit to you. I will help you in this life.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James McAvoy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/marriage-is-an-ongoing-thing-man-you-continue-to-work-at-it-but-it-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Care" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/marriage-is-an-ongoing-thing-man-you-continue-to-work-at-it-but-it-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/james-mcavoy-4316_care_marriage-is-an-ongoing-thing-man-you-con_1308471.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/james-mcavoy-4316_care_marriage-is-an-ongoing-thing-man-you-con_1308471.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/james-mcavoy-4316_care_marriage-is-an-ongoing-thing-man-you-con_1308471.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Marriage is an ongoing thing, man. You continue to work at it. But it's joyful. And joyous. I don't care if…” — James McAvoy", "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": "James McAvoy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Marriage is an ongoing thing, man....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/marriage-is-an-ongoing-thing-man-you-continue-to-work-at-it-but-it-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/marriage-is-an-ongoing-thing-man-you-continue-to-work-at-it-but-it-s/#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 } } ] } ```