“To not to have entirely wasted one's life seems to be a worthy accomplishment, if only for myself.”

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Meaning

It reads as a private standard for dignity, not a grand claim of success. The line points to the need to feel that a life has had some use, even if that judgment is measured only from within, and it can land for someone looking back after a hard year and asking whether anything they did mattered.

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Originally said in English.

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About Charles Bukowski

German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer

Charles Bukowski was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. He became closely associated with Los Angeles, the city he made his home, and his work reflects that setting and its pressures. His writing focuses on the lives of poor Americans, the act of writing, alcohol, relationships with women, and the grind of work. He wrote with direct attention to everyday hardship and the conditions that shaped it.

More from Charles Bukowski (353 quotes) →

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Books by Charles Bukowski

Ham on Rye

2001

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Bone palace ballet

2002

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Factotum

2009

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