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
We are Born like this Into this Into these carefully mad wars Into the sight of broken factory windows of emptiness Into bars where people no longer speak to each other Into fist fights that end as shootings and knifings Born into this Into hospitals which are so expensive that it’s cheaper to die Into lawyers who charge so much it’s cheaper to plead guilty Into a country where the jails are full and the madhouses closed Into a place where the masses elevate fools into rich heroes
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the harsh realities and absurdities of life that we are born into.
In this powerful quote, Charles Bukowski paints a grim picture of the world, describing the societal and systemic failures that individuals face from birth. The imagery of wars, broken factories, and the cost of healthcare highlights a bleak reality where social and economic injustices thrive, and where true communication and humanity often crumble under pressure. Bukowski's raw depiction challenges us to confront the chaos that defines our existence and questions the notion of worth and success in a world that elevates the unworthy.
Themes
LifeSocietyInjusticeRealismExistenceStruggle
In practice
Example use cases
During a public speaking event about social issues, this quote can emphasize the need for reform.
More from Charles Bukowski
All quotes →when 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, can’t 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 don’t 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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As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.
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