---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You wouldn’t like it much anyway,”…"
description: "\"“You wouldn’t like it much anyway,” someone replied gently. “Infinity is a dreadfully poor place. They can never manage to make ends meet.”\" — Norton J..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/norton-juster-2113_infinity_you-wouldn-t-like-it-much-anyway-someone_2479449.png"
---

#  You wouldn’t like it much anyway,” someone replied gently…

![“You wouldn’t like it much anyway,” someone replied gently. “Infinity is a dreadfully poor place. They can never manage to make ends meet.” quote by Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/norton-juster-2113_infinity_you-wouldn-t-like-it-much-anyway-someone_2479449.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/norton-juster-2113_infinity_you-wouldn-t-like-it-much-anyway-someone_2479449.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/norton-juster-2113_infinity_you-wouldn-t-like-it-much-anyway-someone_2479449.png)

> ““You wouldn’t like it much anyway,” someone replied gently. “Infinity is a dreadfully poor place. They can never manage to make ends meet.””

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

## 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 suggests that infinite space is empty and unfulfilling, implying that without limits, there is no purpose or satisfaction.

**In simple terms:** Infinity feels empty without limits.

Key Takeaway

Seek meaningful limits.

Themes

purpose existence limits

Mood

thoughtful melancholic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- creative writing
- philosophical discussion
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

philosophy existentialism

Questions to Reflect On

- How do limits give life meaning?
- Can abundance become a burden?

A Different Perspective

Infinity can be overwhelming without direction.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dreadfully Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreadfully-poor-846730/) [Gently Infinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gently-infinity-846731/) [Infinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinity/) [Infinity Dreadfully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinity-dreadfully-846729/) [Poor Place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-place-846732/)

## Related quotes

> [Infinity is a dreadfully poor place. They can never manage to make ends meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/infinity-is-a-dreadfully-poor-place-they-can-never-manage-to-make/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [“Grandmother's knee is a wonderful place to learn about the Bible, ghosts, and even Santa Claus, but a mighty poor place to learn about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-b-taylor-jr/grandmother-s-knee-is-a-wonderful-place-to-learn-about-the-bible/)

[L.B. Taylor JR](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-b-taylor-jr/)

> [I grew up in this poor place, with very limited circumstances, at about 16 years of age was sent by my family to work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-grew-up-in-this-poor-place-with-very-limited-circumstances-at-about/)

[Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/)

> [The middle of the road is a poor place to walk. It is a poor place to drive. It is a poor place to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-havner/the-middle-of-the-road-is-a-poor-place-to-walk-it-is-a-poor-place-to/)

[Vance Havner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-havner/)

> [A good place to visit, but a poor place to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/a-good-place-to-visit-but-a-poor-place-to-stay/)

[Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/)

> [“But that can never be," said Milo, jumping to his feet. "Don't be too sure," said the child patiently, "for one of the nicest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/but-that-can-never-be-said-milo-jumping-to-his-feet-don-t-be-too-sure/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [If there is anything like infinity in the world then I know where it lives. It stays in the form of love in between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-there-is-anything-like-infinity-in-the-world-then-i-know-where-it/)

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

> [I'm not going into infinity. I'm going into low earth orbit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-sharman/i-m-not-going-into-infinity-i-m-going-into-low-earth-orbit/)

[Helen Sharman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-sharman/)

> [Think of the Earth as a turning point in eternity. Think of the Earth as a meeting point in infinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/think-of-the-earth-as-a-turning-point-in-eternity-think-of-the-earth/)

[Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/)

> [I decided to lock myself in. A forced segregation. Sabbatical. A retreat into myself. My selves. Play hide and go seek in the looking-glass.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/i-decided-to-lock-myself-in-a-forced-segregation-sabbatical-a-retreat/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [Feeling and experiencing infinity within this finite body, living timelessness within the time span of life - this is what you are here for](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/feeling-and-experiencing-infinity-within-this-finite-body-living/)

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/)

> [Where is the subject that does not branch out into infinity? For every grain of sand is a mystery; so is every daisy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/where-is-the-subject-that-does-not-branch-out-into-infinity-for-every/)

[William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/)

> [The infinity of All ever bringing forth anew, and even as infinite space is around us, so is infinite potentiality, capacity, reception, malleability, matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giordano-bruno/the-infinity-of-all-ever-bringing-forth-anew-and-even-as-infinite/)

[Giordano Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giordano-bruno/)

> [My very first real job in the industry was as a production assistant on a show called 'Infinity Factory' in 1976.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/my-very-first-real-job-in-the-industry-was-as-a-production-assistant/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

## More by Norton Juster

> [You see, years ago I was just an ordinary bee minding my own business, smelling flowers all day, and occasionally picking up part-time work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/you-see-years-ago-i-was-just-an-ordinary-bee-minding-my-own-business/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [“How are you going to make it move? It doesn't have a – " "Be very quiet," advised the duke, "for it goes without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/how-are-you-going-to-make-it-move-it-doesn-t-have-a-be-very-quiet/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [It was really written as most, I think, books are by writers - for themselves. There was something that just had to be written,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/it-was-really-written-as-most-i-think-books-are-by-writers-for/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [“What kind of a place is Expectations?" inquired Milo, unable to see the humor and feeling very doubtful of the little man's sanity. "Good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/what-kind-of-a-place-is-expectations-inquired-milo-unable-to-see-the/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [There is much worth noticing that often escapes the eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/there-is-much-worth-noticing-that-often-escapes-the-eye/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [“The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what's in between.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/the-most-important-reason-for-going-from-one-place-to-another-is-to/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [“As the cheering continued, Rhyme leaned forward and touched Milo gently on the shoulder. "They're cheering for you," she said with a smile. "But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/as-the-cheering-continued-rhyme-leaned-forward-and-touched-milo/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [He paused again as a tear of longing rolled from cheek to lip with the sweet-salty taste of an old memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/he-paused-again-as-a-tear-of-longing-rolled-from-cheek-to-lip-with/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [“Kad god se nasmiješiš, radost se oko tebe širi poput kolobara u bari, i kad god si tužan, nitko nigdje ne može biti stvarno…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/kad-god-se-nasmije-i-radost-se-oko-tebe-iri-poput-kolobara-u-bari-i/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [“Why not take a few pounds of ‘happys’?” advised the salesman. “They’re much more practical—and very useful for Happy Birthday, Happy New Year, happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/why-not-take-a-few-pounds-of-happys-advised-the-salesman-they-re-much/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [...it's not just learning that's important. It's learning what to do with what you learn and learning why you learn things that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/it-s-not-just-learning-that-s-important-it-s-learning-what-to-do-with/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [Sometimes I find the best way of getting from one place to another is simply to erase everything and begin again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/sometimes-i-find-the-best-way-of-getting-from-one-place-to-another-is/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [Have you ever heard the wonderful silence just before the dawn? Or the quiet and calm just as a storm ends? Or perhaps you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/have-you-ever-heard-the-wonderful-silence-just-before-the-dawn-or-the/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [How can you see something that isn't there?" yawned the Humbug, who wasn't fully awake yet. "Sometimes, it's much simpler than seeing things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/how-can-you-see-something-that-isn-t-there-yawned-the-humbug-who-wasn/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [“I wonder where I am," said Milo in a very worried tone. "You're . . . in . . . the . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/i-wonder-where-i-am-said-milo-in-a-very-worried-tone-you-re-in-the/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

[Explore all 185 Norton Juster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

## More Infinity quotes

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [My very first real job in the industry was as a production assistant on a show called 'Infinity Factory' in 1976.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/my-very-first-real-job-in-the-industry-was-as-a-production-assistant/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [The infinity of All ever bringing forth anew, and even as infinite space is around us, so is infinite potentiality, capacity, reception, malleability, matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giordano-bruno/the-infinity-of-all-ever-bringing-forth-anew-and-even-as-infinite/)

[Giordano Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giordano-bruno/)

> [Where is the subject that does not branch out into infinity? For every grain of sand is a mystery; so is every daisy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/where-is-the-subject-that-does-not-branch-out-into-infinity-for-every/)

[William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/)

> [Feeling and experiencing infinity within this finite body, living timelessness within the time span of life - this is what you are here for](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/feeling-and-experiencing-infinity-within-this-finite-body-living/)

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/)

> [I decided to lock myself in. A forced segregation. Sabbatical. A retreat into myself. My selves. Play hide and go seek in the looking-glass.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/i-decided-to-lock-myself-in-a-forced-segregation-sabbatical-a-retreat/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [Think of the Earth as a turning point in eternity. Think of the Earth as a meeting point in infinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/think-of-the-earth-as-a-turning-point-in-eternity-think-of-the-earth/)

[Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/)

> [I'm not going into infinity. I'm going into low earth orbit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-sharman/i-m-not-going-into-infinity-i-m-going-into-low-earth-orbit/)

[Helen Sharman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-sharman/)

> [If there is anything like infinity in the world then I know where it lives. It stays in the form of love in between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-there-is-anything-like-infinity-in-the-world-then-i-know-where-it/)

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

> [“The definition of a professional is one who does a job well even when they don't like it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sheinwald/the-definition-of-a-professional-is-one-who-does-a-job-well-even-when/)

[Alan Sheinwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sheinwald/)

> [Desire is this absurdity that holds open the infinity of possibility. Ever optimistic, ever resourceful, desire tells us what it sees as it speeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-farley/desire-is-this-absurdity-that-holds-open-the-infinity-of-possibility/)

[Wendy Farley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-farley/)

> [Roads of infinity had a stop sign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/roads-of-infinity-had-a-stop-sign/)

[C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/)

> [Even to the sage who's doing Sahaja Samadhi, the great guru, I'd say: "Hey buddy, you know, I like the robes and everything, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/even-to-the-sage-who-s-doing-sahaja-samadhi-the-great-guru-i-d-say/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [The goodness of God is infinitely more wonderful than we will ever be able to comprehend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/the-goodness-of-god-is-infinitely-more-wonderful-than-we-will-ever-be/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [Between earth and earth's atmosphere, the amount of water remains constant; there is never a drop more, never a drop less. This is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hogan/between-earth-and-earth-s-atmosphere-the-amount-of-water-remains/)

[Linda Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hogan/)

[Browse all 948 Infinity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“You wouldn’t like it much anyway,” someone replied gently. “Infinity is a dreadfully poor place. They can never manage to make ends meet.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Norton Juster"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/you-wouldn-t-like-it-much-anyway-someone-replied-gently-infinity-is-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Infinity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/you-wouldn-t-like-it-much-anyway-someone-replied-gently-infinity-is-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/norton-juster-2113_infinity_you-wouldn-t-like-it-much-anyway-someone_2479449.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/norton-juster-2113_infinity_you-wouldn-t-like-it-much-anyway-someone_2479449.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/norton-juster-2113_infinity_you-wouldn-t-like-it-much-anyway-someone_2479449.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You wouldn’t like it much anyway,” someone replied gently. “Infinity is a dreadfully poor place. They can…” — Norton Juster",
                "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": "Norton Juster",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“You wouldn’t like it much anyway,”...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/you-wouldn-t-like-it-much-anyway-someone-replied-gently-infinity-is-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/you-wouldn-t-like-it-much-anyway-someone-replied-gently-infinity-is-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```