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
Humanity, you never had it from the beginning." That was my motto.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a cynical view of humanity, suggesting that true 'humanity' has always been absent from our nature.
In this quote, Charles Bukowski expresses a deeply skeptical perspective on human nature, implying that the qualities we often attribute to humanity β kindness, compassion, and empathy β were never truly present in the first place. This notion challenges idealistic views of human potential and suggests that what we perceive as 'humanity' is more of a facade that has never accurately represented the reality of our existence.
Themes
HumanityCynicismNaturePhilosophyTruth
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about human behavior and societal norms.
More from Charles Bukowski
All quotes βwhen I am feeling low all i have to do is watch my cats and my courage returns
Charles BukowskiRead
The masses are always wrong...Wisdom is doing everything the crowd does not do. All you do is reverse the totality of their learning and you have the heaven they're looking for.
Charles BukowskiRead
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.
Charles BukowskiRead
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.
Charles BukowskiRead
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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The devil doesn't stay where there is music.
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It is good for us to think that no grace or blessing is truly ours till we are aware that God has blessed some one else with it through us.
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One thing I've learned is this: Never allow yourself to hate a people because of the actions of a few. Hatred and bigotry destroyed my nation, and millions died. I would hope that most people did not hate Germans because of the Nazis, or Americans because of slaves. Never hate, it only eats you alive. Keep an open mind and always look for the good in people. You may be surprised at what you find.
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