Henry Charles Bukowski was a German-American poet, novelist, and short-story writer.
1 I wasn’t lonely, I experienced no self-pity, I was just caught up in a life in which I could find no meaning. -Charles Bukowski
When we find no meaning in our lives, we become emotionally numb. We are unable to experience either joy or sadness.
2 I don’t hate people, I just feel better when they’re not around. -Charles Bukowski
Many people confuse liking solitude with being anti-social. However, that’s not true. A person should be able to enjoy being alone without being seen as unfriendly.
3 What matters most is how well you walk through the fire. -Charles Bukowski
We become stronger when we experience adversity and overcome it without feeling distressed. Being able to continue despite difficulties makes us better.
4 We’re all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn’t. -Charles Bukowski
We should not spend our lives hating other people. We need to be kind to each other if we want the world to become a better place. Understand the big picture and be compassionate towards others.
5 My ambition is handicapped by laziness. -Charles Bukowski
It is important to break the never-ending cycle of procrastination to do things that can be done immediately. One only realises the true value of time when there is no way to compensate for the time wasted.
6 You have to die a few times before you can really live. -Charles Bukowski
Every mistake makes us wiser and better prepared to tackle future challenges in life. Growth occurs when we learn from our experiences and move forward without regretting our past mistakes.
7 I wanted the whole world or nothing. -Charles Bukowski
When you pursue sometimes and work hard to achieve it, you expect your efforts to pay off. You want the best result or nothing at all.
8 Find what you love and let it kill you. -Charles Bukowski
You should be able to identify your talent so that you maximize it and become successful. Once you find what you’re good at, you work hard to excel at it.
9 If you’re losing your soul and you know it, then you’ve still got a soul left to lose. -Charles Bukowski
If you’re in a difficult situation and are aware of your problems, you are not helpless. You’re still capable of overcoming adversities.
10 Real loneliness is not necessarily limited to when you are alone. -Charles Bukowski
Just because someone likes spending time alone doesn’t mean they are lonely. A person can feel lonely or left out in a crowd as well.
11 We don’t even ask happiness, just a little less pain. -Charles Bukowski
When you’re dealing with a very difficult situation, all you want to do is put an end to suffering. You don’t expect happiness but you don’t want to experience pain either.
12 If you have the ability to love, love yourself first. -Charles Bukowski
One should be able to accept their true selves before expecting others to love them. Be comfortable with yourself and stop trying to change yourself for other people.
13 I had always been good company for myself. -Charles Bukowski
One should be able to enjoy solitude. Many people are afraid of being alone because they don’t want to be seen as lonely. They never get to experience the benefits of solitude.
14 I didn’t have any friends at school, didn’t want any, I felt better being alone. -Charles Bukowski
Some people are not socially outgoing. They find it better to be alone than to pretend to be with people they are not interested in. They are more comfortable with themselves.
15 Regret is mostly caused by not having done anything. -Charles Bukowski
We find it difficult to take risks because we fear failure. However, we should realise that we are more likely to fail by not taking chances than by doing nothing.
16 My heart is a thousand years old, I am not like other people. -Charles Bukowski
Never be afraid of doing something just for the sake of gaining validation from others. Many people blindly follow the crowd in order to be accepted. Have the courage to be different.
17 Having nothing to struggle against they have nothing to struggle for. -Charles Bukowski
If you are not willing to struggle for what’s important to you, you will never be able to achieve it no matter what. You’ll have to deal with uncomfortable situations and give up a lot of things to become successful.
18 The worst thing,” he told me, “is bitterness, people end up so bitter. -Charles Bukowski
There’s nothing worse than being bitter towards others. People should be kind to each other and learn to let go of grudges. Being negative will make you do things that you normally wouldn’t even think of doing.
19 Everything you own must be able to fit inside one suitcase; then your mind might be free. -Charles Bukowski
In life, it is important to let go of unnecessary things. You’ll be able to live more freely once you stop worrying about trivial aspects and move on from them.
20 What matters most is how well you walk through the fire. -Charles Bukowski
One of the few things that make successful people so inspiring is that they were able to deal with the worst moments of their life without even thinking of giving up. A person’s resilience is what truly matters.
21 The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence. -Charles Bukowski
People who pretend to know about everything are actually foolish. They are overconfident about their knowledge and don’t try to become better. While intelligent people never get ahead of themselves and are open to learning more.
22 An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way, an artist says a hard thing in a simple way. -Charles Bukowski
A smart person would know how to convey difficult ideas to others properly. They make sure that others understand their explanation easily.
23 Being alone never felt right, sometimes it felt good, but it never felt right. -Charles Bukowski
Just because something feels good doesn’t mean that it must also be right. Too much of anything can be bad. Being open to different experiences will help you grow into a better person.
24 I felt like crying but nothing came out, it was just a sort of sad sickness, sick sad, when you can’t feel any worse. -Charles Bukowski
Feeling completely distressed can make a person emotionally numb. When they are unable to vent their emotions, they become extremely sad and just want to free themselves from emotional burden.
25 The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it – basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them. -Charles Bukowski
A free person is someone who is not bound by conventional ideas. They do whatever they like to do which inspires others to live their lives independently.
26 Those who escape hell however never talk about it and nothing much bothers them after that. -Charles Bukowski
After going to difficult situations, most people don’t like talking about their experiences. They don’t want to remember their past at all and avoid everything related to it.
27 What a weary time those years were — to have the desire and the need to live but not the ability. -Charles Bukowski
Many of us want to live happily but don’t want to work towards it. When we go through very difficult times, we lose all hope but at the same time desperately want to overcome it. The only way we can do that is by taking action.
28 Life’s as kind as you let it be. -Charles Bukowski
Your perception of life is everything. If you want to be happy, then cultivate a positive mindset. How you live is completely up to you. Don’t blame other factors for your own mistakes.
29 I often carry things to read so that I will not have to look at the people. -Charles Bukowski
In order to avoid things, sometimes, we take extreme actions. However, we need to realise that escaping is not the solution. If you don’t like something, then change it instead of dwelling on it.
30 Without literature, life is hell. -Charles Bukowski
Being passionate about something fills our life with meaning. It gives us a purpose to live. When we feel low, we turn to such things that lift our spirits.
Top 10 Bukowski Quotes In 2020 That Will Blow Your Mind
1. I wasn’t lonely, I experienced no self-pity, I was just caught up in a life in which I could find no meaning. -Charles Bukowski
2. I don’t hate people, I just feel better when they’re not around. -Charles Bukowski
3. What matters most is how well you walk through the fire. -Charles Bukowski
4. We’re all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn’t. -Charles Bukowski
5. My ambition is handicapped by laziness. -Charles Bukowski
6. You have to die a few times before you can really live. -Charles Bukowski
7. I wanted the whole world or nothing. -Charles Bukowski
8. Find what you love and let it kill you. -Charles Bukowski
9. If you’re losing your soul and you know it, then you’ve still got a soul left to lose. -Charles Bukowski
10. Real loneliness is not necessarily limited to when you are alone. -Charles Bukowski
11. We don’t even ask happiness, just a little less pain. -Charles Bukowski
12. If you have the ability to love, love yourself first. -Charles Bukowski
13. I had always been good company for myself. -Charles Bukowski
14. I didn’t have any friends at school, didn’t want any, I felt better being alone. -Charles Bukowski
15. Regret is mostly caused by not having done anything. -Charles Bukowski
16. My heart is a thousand years old, I am not like other people. -Charles Bukowski
17. Having nothing to struggle against they have nothing to struggle for. -Charles Bukowski
18. The worst thing,” he told me, “is bitterness, people end up so bitter. -Charles Bukowski
19. Everything you own must be able to fit inside one suitcase; then your mind might be free. -Charles Bukowski
20. What matters most is how well you walk through the fire. -Charles Bukowski
21. The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence. -Charles Bukowski
22. An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way, an artist says a hard thing in a simple way. -Charles Bukowski
23. Being alone never felt right, sometimes it felt good, but it never felt right. -Charles Bukowski
24. I felt like crying but nothing came out, it was just a sort of sad sickness, sick sad, when you can’t feel any worse. -Charles Bukowski
25. The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it – basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them. -Charles Bukowski
26. Those who escape hell however never talk about it and nothing much bothers them after that. -Charles Bukowski
27. What a weary time those years were — to have the desire and the need to live but not the ability. -Charles Bukowski
28. Life’s as kind as you let it be. -Charles Bukowski
29. I often carry things to read so that I will not have to look at the people. -Charles Bukowski
30. Without literature, life is hell. -Charles Bukowski