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Charles Bukowski Quotes

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The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.

The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.

Charles Bukowski
Faith, Confidence, Stupid

Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?

Charles Bukowski
Inspirational, Being Yourself, Life And Love

Understand me. I’m not like an ordinary world. I have my madness, I live in another dimension and I do not have time for things that have no soul.

Charles Bukowski
Ordinary World, Soul, Dimensions

People are strange: They are constantly angered by trivial things, but on a major matter like totally wasting their lives, they hardly seem to notice.

Charles Bukowski
Life, Anger, People

If something burns your soul with purpose and desire, it’s your duty to be reduced to ashes by it. Any other form of existence will be yet another dull book in the library of life.

Charles Bukowski
Book, Soul, Desire

Wherever the crowd goes run in the other direction. They're always wrong.

Charles Bukowski
Running, Crowds, Always Wrong

If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start.

Charles Bukowski
Trying, Way, Valuable Life
"Fictional character: Henry Chinaski". "Factotum", www.imdb.com. 2005.

Don't fight your demons. Your demons are here to teach you lessons. Sit down with your demons and have a drink and a chat and learn their names and talk about the burns on their fingers and scratches on their ankles. Some of them are very nice.

Charles Bukowski
Nice, Fighting, Names

The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting.

Charles Bukowski
Trust, Order, Differences
Charles Bukowski (2013). “The Most Beautiful Woman in Town”, p.190, City Lights Books

what matters most is how well you walk through the fire

Charles Bukowski
Motivational, Uplifting, I Hate You
Charles Bukowski (2012). “The Pleasures of the Damned: Selected Poems 1951-1993”, p.505, Canongate Books

Find what you love and let it kill you.

Charles Bukowski
Love, Inspirational, Death
"Did Charles Bukowski Really Say, 'Find What You Love and Let it Kill You?'" by Jef Rouner, www.houstonpress.com. July 16, 2013.

The wisest thing to do if you’re living in hell is to make yourself comfortable.

Charles Bukowski
Hell, Things To Do, Ifs

You have to die a few times before you can really live.

Charles Bukowski
Inspirational, Life, Death

I guess the only time most people think about injustice is when it happens to them.

Charles Bukowski
Thinking, People, Injustice

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
Inspirational, Feel Good, Soul
Charles Bukowski (1972). “Erections, ejaculations, exhibitions, and general tales of ordinary madness”

Some people never go crazy, What truly horrible lives they must live.

Charles Bukowski
Life, Crazy, People

There are only two things wrong with money: too much or too little.

Charles Bukowski
Two, Littles, Too Much
Charles Bukowski (2013). “The Most Beautiful Woman in Town”, p.202, City Lights Books

Unless it comes out of your soul like a rocket, unless being still would drive you to madness or suicide or murder, don't do it. unless the sun inside you is burning your gut, don't do it. when it is truly time, and if you have been chosen, it will do it by itself and it will keep on doing it until you die or it dies in you. there is no other way. and there never was.

Charles Bukowski
Motivational, Suicide, Time
Charles Bukowski, “So You Want To Be A Writer?”

I think that the world should be full of cats and full of rain, that's all, just cats and rain, rain and cats, very nice, good night.

Charles Bukowski
Good Night, Nice, Rain

nobody can save you but yourself and you’re worth saving. it’s a war not easily won but if anything is worth winning then this is it.

Charles Bukowski
War, Winning, Saving
Charles Bukowski (2003). “Sunlight Here I Am: Interviews and Encounters, 1963-1993”

Simplicity is always the secret, to a profound truth, to doing things, to writing, to painting. Life is profound in its simplicity

Charles Bukowski
Writing, Profound, Simplicity

Some people like what you do, some people hate what you do, but most people simply don't give a damn.

Charles Bukowski
Hate, People, Giving

Beauty is nothing, beauty won’t stay. You don’t know how lucky you are to be ugly, because if people like you, you know it’s for something else.

Charles Bukowski
People, Lucky, Ugly
Charles Bukowski (2013). “The Most Beautiful Woman in Town”, p.1, City Lights Books

I stopped looking for a Dream Girl, I just wanted one that wasn't a nightmare.

Charles Bukowski
Girl, Dream, Nightmare

Slavery was never abolished, it was only extended to include all the colors.

Charles Bukowski
Color, Slavery

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