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're all going to die, all of us, what a circus!
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life is transient, and its inherent absurdity can be likened to a circus.
This quote by Charles Bukowski emphasizes the inevitability of death for every individual, highlighting the absurdity of life. It suggests that, amidst the chaos and unpredictability of life—much like a circus—we should acknowledge our mortality and perhaps find humor in the situation.
Themes
DeathLifeAbsurdityHumorMortality
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about embracing life's challenges, you could use this quote to remind the audience of the absurd nature of our existence.
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.
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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, can’t 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 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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