---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Firsts aren’t good enough,” he said, as…"
description: "\"“Firsts aren’t good enough,” he said, as serious as Cam had ever seen him. “Because I don’t just want your firsts. I want your onlys, Cam. Your lasts, ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c98/may-archer-88626_good-enough_firsts-aren-t-good-enough-he-said-as-ser_2302375.jpg"
---

#  Firsts aren’t good enough,” he said, as serious as Cam had…

![“Firsts aren’t good enough,” he said, as serious as Cam had ever seen him. “Because I don’t just want your firsts. I want your onlys, Cam. Your lasts, your in-betweens. I want your always.” quote by May Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c98/may-archer-88626_good-enough_firsts-aren-t-good-enough-he-said-as-ser_2302375.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c98/may-archer-88626_good-enough_firsts-aren-t-good-enough-he-said-as-ser_2302375.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c98/may-archer-88626_good-enough_firsts-aren-t-good-enough-he-said-as-ser_2302375.jpg)

> ““Firsts aren’t good enough,” he said, as serious as Cam had ever seen him. “Because I don’t just want your firsts. I want your onlys, Cam. Your lasts, your in-betweens. I want your always.””

May Archer

## About This Quote

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

The speaker desires lasting, continuous love, not just initial experiences, emphasizing commitment over novelty.

**In simple terms:** Wants lasting love, not just firsts.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize enduring relationships.

Themes

love commitment growth

Mood

hopeful intimate

Type

fictional romantic

When to use this quote

- dating
- marriage
- long‑term partnership
- personal development

Key Concepts

romantic idealism temporal continuity

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you nurture lasting bonds?
- What makes a relationship endure?

A Different Perspective

Firsts can be meaningful but aren't sufficient.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/)

## Related quotes

> [Eventually your body will learn the alliances it has to make with itself,' Kenny had said - as if Cam was a factory full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/eventually-your-body-will-learn-the-alliances-it-has-to-make-with/)

[Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/)

> [I was so unsuccessful for so long. I was used to the word no. I was used to you're not good enough or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamar-braxton/i-was-so-unsuccessful-for-so-long-i-was-used-to-the-word-no-i-was/)

[Tamar Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamar-braxton/)

> [You can look at everything from pre-Heisman to post-Heisman, and I think that's why it ranks up at the top, because before then, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-sanders/you-can-look-at-everything-from-pre-heisman-to-post-heisman-and-i/)

[Barry Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-sanders/)

> [I wasn't good enough. I had a little talent but not enough. There is nothing more discouraging than having just a little talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamunde-pilcher/i-wasn-t-good-enough-i-had-a-little-talent-but-not-enough-there-is/)

[Rosamunde Pilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamunde-pilcher/)

> [“Why do people kill themselves? I think they do it when they can no longer find a reason to keep going. When nothing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-miller/why-do-people-kill-themselves-i-think-they-do-it-when-they-can-no/)

[Mary Beth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-miller/)

> [The fear of not being good enough, the fear of disappointing other people and the fear of failure can really hurt one's personality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/the-fear-of-not-being-good-enough-the-fear-of-disappointing-other/)

[Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/)

> [I may never be good enough for everybody. But I'll always be the best for someone who's contented to have me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-may-never-be-good-enough-for-everybody-but-i-ll-always-be-the-best/)

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

> [The first thing you put on in the morning is your lingerie, and you have to look at yourself and tell yourself that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/the-first-thing-you-put-on-in-the-morning-is-your-lingerie-and-you/)

[Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/)

> [“Something had been confirmed: I was worth giving a shit about; I was getting to be a successful sick person. Sick is when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/something-had-been-confirmed-i-was-worth-giving-a-shit-about-i-was/)

[Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/)

> [~You told me that you have feelings me then next thing you know you ignore me then I see you flirting with other girls……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-eyes/you-told-me-that-you-have-feelings-me-then-next-thing-you-know-you/)

Angel\_eyes

> [The creative strength is good enough and deep enough to bring itself to flower and to grow in spite of this sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-greenberg/the-creative-strength-is-good-enough-and-deep-enough-to-bring-itself/)

[Joanne Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-greenberg/)

> [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/)

[Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/)

> [With my songs, the question is always, 'Can you pull it off live, alone on just an acoustic guitar?' That's the litmus test. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/with-my-songs-the-question-is-always-can-you-pull-it-off-live-alone/)

[Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/)

> [Don't listen to people who say trying your best is good enough, It's not. First is first! Second is last!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-ryan-of-hereford/don-t-listen-to-people-who-say-trying-your-best-is-good-enough-it-s/)

Sir Ryan Of Hereford

> [“Ain’t got no shit to fuckin worry on, dig. Ladybird good enough to handle any all comes she fuckin way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/ain-t-got-no-shit-to-fuckin-worry-on-dig-ladybird-good-enough-to/)

[Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/)

## More by May Archer

> [“Hard and easy don't matter when there's no Plan B”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-archer/hard-and-easy-don-t-matter-when-there-s-no-plan-b/)

May Archer

> [“Sometimes the truest things are the weirdest ones, the ones you think couldn’t possibly work. And I think…” He hesitated. “I think a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-archer/sometimes-the-truest-things-are-the-weirdest-ones-the-ones-you-think/)

May Archer

Explore all 3 May Archer quotes

## More Good enough quotes

> [“Ain’t got no shit to fuckin worry on, dig. Ladybird good enough to handle any all comes she fuckin way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/ain-t-got-no-shit-to-fuckin-worry-on-dig-ladybird-good-enough-to/)

[Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/)

> [Don't listen to people who say trying your best is good enough, It's not. First is first! Second is last!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-ryan-of-hereford/don-t-listen-to-people-who-say-trying-your-best-is-good-enough-it-s/)

Sir Ryan Of Hereford

> [With my songs, the question is always, 'Can you pull it off live, alone on just an acoustic guitar?' That's the litmus test. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/with-my-songs-the-question-is-always-can-you-pull-it-off-live-alone/)

[Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/)

> [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/)

[Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/)

> [The creative strength is good enough and deep enough to bring itself to flower and to grow in spite of this sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-greenberg/the-creative-strength-is-good-enough-and-deep-enough-to-bring-itself/)

[Joanne Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-greenberg/)

> [~You told me that you have feelings me then next thing you know you ignore me then I see you flirting with other girls……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-eyes/you-told-me-that-you-have-feelings-me-then-next-thing-you-know-you/)

Angel\_eyes

> [“Something had been confirmed: I was worth giving a shit about; I was getting to be a successful sick person. Sick is when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/something-had-been-confirmed-i-was-worth-giving-a-shit-about-i-was/)

[Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/)

> [The first thing you put on in the morning is your lingerie, and you have to look at yourself and tell yourself that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/the-first-thing-you-put-on-in-the-morning-is-your-lingerie-and-you/)

[Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/)

> [I may never be good enough for everybody. But I'll always be the best for someone who's contented to have me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-may-never-be-good-enough-for-everybody-but-i-ll-always-be-the-best/)

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

> [The fear of not being good enough, the fear of disappointing other people and the fear of failure can really hurt one's personality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/the-fear-of-not-being-good-enough-the-fear-of-disappointing-other/)

[Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/)

> [“Why do people kill themselves? I think they do it when they can no longer find a reason to keep going. When nothing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-miller/why-do-people-kill-themselves-i-think-they-do-it-when-they-can-no/)

[Mary Beth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-miller/)

> [I wasn't good enough. I had a little talent but not enough. There is nothing more discouraging than having just a little talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamunde-pilcher/i-wasn-t-good-enough-i-had-a-little-talent-but-not-enough-there-is/)

[Rosamunde Pilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamunde-pilcher/)

> [You can look at everything from pre-Heisman to post-Heisman, and I think that's why it ranks up at the top, because before then, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-sanders/you-can-look-at-everything-from-pre-heisman-to-post-heisman-and-i/)

[Barry Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-sanders/)

> [I was so unsuccessful for so long. I was used to the word no. I was used to you're not good enough or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamar-braxton/i-was-so-unsuccessful-for-so-long-i-was-used-to-the-word-no-i-was/)

[Tamar Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamar-braxton/)

> [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/)

[Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/)

[Browse all 2,935 Good enough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Firsts aren’t good enough,” he said, as serious as Cam had ever seen him. “Because I don’t just want your firsts. I want your onlys, Cam. Your lasts, your in-betweens. I want your always.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "May Archer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-archer/firsts-aren-t-good-enough-he-said-as-serious-as-cam-had-ever-seen-him/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Good enough"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-archer/firsts-aren-t-good-enough-he-said-as-serious-as-cam-had-ever-seen-him/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c98/may-archer-88626_good-enough_firsts-aren-t-good-enough-he-said-as-ser_2302375.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c98/may-archer-88626_good-enough_firsts-aren-t-good-enough-he-said-as-ser_2302375.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c98/may-archer-88626_good-enough_firsts-aren-t-good-enough-he-said-as-ser_2302375.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Firsts aren’t good enough,” he said, as serious as Cam had ever seen him. “Because I don’t just want your…” — May Archer",
                "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": "May Archer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-archer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Firsts aren’t good enough,” he said,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-archer/firsts-aren-t-good-enough-he-said-as-serious-as-cam-had-ever-seen-him/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-archer/firsts-aren-t-good-enough-he-said-as-serious-as-cam-had-ever-seen-him/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
