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
since some people had told me that I was ugly, I always preferred shade to the sun, darkness to light
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a deep sense of insecurity and a preference for invisibility over exposure to judgment.
In this quote, Charles Bukowski expresses his feelings of unworthiness stemming from harsh criticism and societal standards of beauty. He metaphorically prefers the comfort of darkness, which offers anonymity and protection from the harsh light of scrutiny, illustrating how negative perceptions can shape one's self-image and choices in life.
Themes
InsecuritiesSelf-ImageDarknessBeautyJudgment
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about self-esteem, I could quote Bukowski to illustrate how external opinions can affect one's self-perception.
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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