I can never drive my car over a bridge without thinking of suicide. I can never look at a lake or an ocean without thinking of suicide.
Charles BukowskiRead
The Difference Between Art and Life is that Art is More Bearable
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art allows us to endure life's challenges by providing a unique lens through which to experience and express reality.
This quote suggests that while life can be harsh and difficult to endure, art serves as a means to navigate and soften these experiences. Bukowski implies that art encapsulates the complexity of existence, making it more manageable and bearable, as it allows individuals to explore, understand, and ultimately cope with the various facets of life through creativity and expression.
Themes
ArtLifeBearableExpressionCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about coping mechanisms, one might use this quote to highlight the therapeutic nature of art.
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I'm going to open another vottle. not a vottle, but a bottle. you open it and I'll drink it. and you try to write as much as I did without falling off of your chair.
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To experience real agony is something hard to write about, impossible to understand while it grips you; you're frightened out of your wits, canβt sit still, move, or even go decently insane.
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I lapsed into my pathetic cut-off period. Often with humans, both good and bad, my senses simply shut off, they get tired, I give up. I am polite. I nod. I pretend to understand because I donβt want anybody to be hurt. That is the one weakness that has lead me into the most trouble. Trying to be kind to others I often get my soul shredded into a kind of spiritual pasta. No matter. My brain shuts off. I listen. I respond. And they are too dumb to know that I am not there.
Charles BukowskiRead
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