--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All a guy needed was a chance. Somebody…" description: "\"All a guy needed was a chance. Somebody was alway controlling who got a chance and who didn't.\" — Charles Bukowski" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/charles-bukowski-73_chance_all-a-guy-needed-was-a-chance-somebody-w_2456061.jpg" --- # All a guy needed was a chance. Somebody was alway… ![“All a guy needed was a chance. Somebody was alway controlling who got a chance and who didn't.” quote by Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/charles-bukowski-73_chance_all-a-guy-needed-was-a-chance-somebody-w_2456061.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/charles-bukowski-73_chance_all-a-guy-needed-was-a-chance-somebody-w_2456061.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/charles-bukowski-73_chance_all-a-guy-needed-was-a-chance-somebody-w_2456061.jpg) > “All a guy needed was a chance. Somebody was alway controlling who got a chance and who didn't.” [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Chance determines outcomes, but it is often controlled by others, limiting fairness. **In simple terms:** Chance is often controlled by others. Key Takeaway Recognize and create your own opportunities. Themes chance control fairness Mood reflective critical Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - entrepreneurship - social mobility - political power Key Concepts social dynamics inequality Questions to Reflect On - How can you influence the chances you receive? - What systems perpetuate chance control? A Different Perspective Not everyone has equal access to chance, making outcomes unpredictable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Chance Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance-didn-611268/) [Chance Somebody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance-somebody-611269/) [Got Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-chance-347890/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Guy Needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy-needed-611270/) [Needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needed/) [Needed Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needed-chance-611267/) ## Related quotes > [I was the guy who would go out and do whatever he needed to do, no matter what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harley-race/i-was-the-guy-who-would-go-out-and-do-whatever-he-needed-to-do-no/) [Harley Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harley-race/) > [“Somebody was always controlling who got a chance and who didn’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got-a-chance-and-who-didn-t/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [There's always a chance. Somebody has got to want me, and if they don't want me, then what? I want to play. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmitt-smith/there-s-always-a-chance-somebody-has-got-to-want-me-and-if-they-don-t/) [Emmitt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmitt-smith/) > [Be the better judge of yourself. Don't give this chance to somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/be-the-better-judge-of-yourself-don-t-give-this-chance-to-somebody/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“Yes, he was leaving, but he'd told her repeatedly that they would find a way to make it work. and yes, it was true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-sparks/yes-he-was-leaving-but-he-d-told-her-repeatedly-that-they-would-find/) [Nicolas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-sparks/) > [It may seem like I came out of the blue. But, my road was long, windy, full of hurdles, and even some dead ends.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cruz/it-may-seem-like-i-came-out-of-the-blue-but-my-road-was-long-windy/) [Victor Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cruz/) > [When I left I knew I was gonna go back to WWE. But I needed to go because whatever I was doing wasn't working.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-cage/when-i-left-i-knew-i-was-gonna-go-back-to-wwe-but-i-needed-to-go/) [Christian Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-cage/) > [I'll never regret anything more than the chance I didn't take with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ll-never-regret-anything-more-than-the-chance-i-didn-t-take-with-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Chance didn't have a fight lined up for a few weeks; which meant he had nothing to do —it was never good when Chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/chance-didn-t-have-a-fight-lined-up-for-a-few-weeks-which-meant-he/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [I thought Portland had a really good chance. But after we didn't win it, I knew my time was up there. But it wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermaine-o-neal/i-thought-portland-had-a-really-good-chance-but-after-we-didn-t-win/) [Jermaine O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermaine-o-neal/) > [“I didn't care much what happened to me, so chance didn't matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-notley/i-didn-t-care-much-what-happened-to-me-so-chance-didn-t-matter/) [Alice Notley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-notley/) > [I had to go out and give my team a chance. I didn't want to be remembered as the guy blowing the World Series.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-law/i-had-to-go-out-and-give-my-team-a-chance-i-didn-t-want-to-be/) [Vernon Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-law/) > [I was disappointed if I didn't have a chance to win a game, and if I had the chance and didn't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-west/i-was-disappointed-if-i-didn-t-have-a-chance-to-win-a-game-and-if-i/) [Jerry West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-west/) > [But when’s the last time you took a chance? Or didn’t do what someone else expected of you? Or did something you really wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessi-kirby/but-when-s-the-last-time-you-took-a-chance-or-didn-t-do-what-someone/) [Jessi Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessi-kirby/) > [I never got a chance to be a teenager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-bruckner/i-never-got-a-chance-to-be-a-teenager/) [Agnes Bruckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-bruckner/) ## More by Charles Bukowski > [“sometimes when everything seems at its worst when all conspires and gnaws and the hours, days, weeks years seem wasted – stretched there upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-when-everything-seems-at-its-worst-when-all-conspires-and/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [well, death says, as he walks by, I'm going to get you anyhow no matter what you've been: writer, cab-driver, pimp, butcher, sky-diver, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/well-death-says-as-he-walks-by-i-m-going-to-get-you-anyhow-no-matter/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“There is only one place to write and that is alone at a typewriter. A writer who has to go into the streets is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/there-is-only-one-place-to-write-and-that-is-alone-at-a-typewriter-a/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“nerves twitching in the sheets -- to face the sunlight again, that's clearly trouble. 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People with no morals often considered themselves more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/strangers-when-you-meet-strangers-when-you-part-a-gymnasium-of-bodies/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I like to change liquor stores frequently because the clerks got to know your habits if you went in night and day and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-like-to-change-liquor-stores-frequently-because-the-clerks-got-to/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I was like a turd that drew flies instead of like a flower that butterflies and bees desired. I wanted to live alone,I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-was-like-a-turd-that-drew-flies-instead-of-like-a-flower-that/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [It's 4:30 in the morning, it's always 4:30 in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/it-s-4-30-in-the-morning-it-s-always-4-30-in-the-morning/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I had no feeling for the things so many others needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-had-no-feeling-for-the-things-so-many-others-needed/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I am sick with caring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-am-sick-with-caring/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I went home each night dizzy and sick. He was murdering me with the sound of his voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-went-home-each-night-dizzy-and-sick-he-was-murdering-me-with-the/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“the nights you fight best are when all the weapons are pointed at you, when all the voices hurl their insults while the dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-nights-you-fight-best-are-when-all-the-weapons-are-pointed-at-you/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) [Explore all 1,492 Charles Bukowski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. 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With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) [Alejandro Taubas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-taubas/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. 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