--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know. It's been terribly hard for…" description: "\"“I don't know. It's been terribly hard for me. How do I know you won't do it again?' 'Nobody is ever quite sure of what they will do. You aren't sure w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/charles-bukowski-73_bukowski_i-don-t-know-it-s-been-terribly-hard-for_1127612.jpg" --- # I don't know. It's been terribly hard for me. How do I… ![“I don't know. It's been terribly hard for me. How do I know you won't do it again?' 'Nobody is ever quite sure of what they will do. You aren't sure what you might do.” quote by Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/charles-bukowski-73_bukowski_i-don-t-know-it-s-been-terribly-hard-for_1127612.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/charles-bukowski-73_bukowski_i-don-t-know-it-s-been-terribly-hard-for_1127612.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/charles-bukowski-73_bukowski_i-don-t-know-it-s-been-terribly-hard-for_1127612.jpg) > ““I don't know. It's been terribly hard for me. How do I know you won't do it again?' 'Nobody is ever quite sure of what they will do. You aren't sure what you might do.”” [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. Expresses uncertainty about future actions and the difficulty of trusting others. **In simple terms:** Uncertainty about future behavior. Key Takeaway Accept unpredictability and seek clarity. Themes uncertainty trust self-doubt human nature Mood melancholic introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - self-reflection - decision making - mental health Key Concepts existentialism psychology relationship dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you cope with uncertainty? - What builds trust in relationships? A Different Perspective May be overly pessimistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bukowski/) [Don Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-know/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-know/) [Know Terribly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-terribly-3081463/) [Terribly Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terribly-hard-2501200/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [“sometimes it's hard to know what to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-it-s-hard-to-know-what-to-do/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I think that phrase is the most horrible phrase in the English language - 'I don't know.' It's terribly embarrassing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/i-think-that-phrase-is-the-most-horrible-phrase-in-the-english/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [Most awards, you know, they don't give you unless you go and get them - did you know that? Terribly discouraging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/most-awards-you-know-they-don-t-give-you-unless-you-go-and-get-them/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) > [It's terribly hard to be married ... harder than anything else. I think you have to be an angel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/it-s-terribly-hard-to-be-married-harder-than-anything-else-i-think/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Miracles sometimes occur, but one has to work terribly hard for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-weizmann/miracles-sometimes-occur-but-one-has-to-work-terribly-hard-for-them/) [Chaim Weizmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-weizmann/) > [...most of the time we were alone and mixing up our souls ever more and ever more till it would be terribly hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/most-of-the-time-we-were-alone-and-mixing-up-our-souls-ever-more-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [It is terribly hard to be married, harder than anything. I think one has to be an angel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/it-is-terribly-hard-to-be-married-harder-than-anything-i-think-one/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [“Tell him to seek the stars and he will kill himself with climbing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/tell-him-to-seek-the-stars-and-he-will-kill-himself-with-climbing/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I run with the hunted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-run-with-the-hunted/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“when I drive the freeways I see the soul of humanity of my city and it's ugly, ugly, ugly: the living have choked the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/when-i-drive-the-freeways-i-see-the-soul-of-humanity-of-my-city-and/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“Genius could be the ability to say a profound thing in a simple way, or even to say a simple thing in a simpler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/genius-could-be-the-ability-to-say-a-profound-thing-in-a-simple-way/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“when we were kids laying around the lawn on our bellies we often talked about how we'd like to die and we all agreed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/when-we-were-kids-laying-around-the-lawn-on-our-bellies-we-often/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“Love is not a candle burning down. Life is. And love and life are not the same or else Love, having choice, nobody would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/love-is-not-a-candle-burning-down-life-is-and-love-and-life-are-not/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“the price of creation is never too high. the price of living with other people always is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-price-of-creation-is-never-too-high-the-price-of-living-with/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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/) ## 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. I like the city better when the neon lights are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/nerves-twitching-in-the-sheets-to-face-the-sunlight-again-that-s/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“Their Love Is Average, Seeks Average But There Is Genius In Their Hatred”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/their-love-is-average-seeks-average-but-there-is-genius-in-their/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I climbed the stairway (there was no elevator) and put the key in. The door swung open. Somebody had changed all the furniture around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-climbed-the-stairway-there-was-no-elevator-and-put-the-key-in-the/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“Strangers when you meet, strangers when you part -a gymnasium of bodies namelessly masturbating each other. 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 Bukowski quotes > [“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/) > [“the price of creation is never too high. the price of living with other people always is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-price-of-creation-is-never-too-high-the-price-of-living-with/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“Love is not a candle burning down. 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I drink to them and with them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-world-is-better-without-them-only-the-plants-and-the-animals-are/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“You're the most unknown famous man I ever met.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/you-re-the-most-unknown-famous-man-i-ever-met/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“My cock was hard, but my spirit wasn't in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/my-cock-was-hard-but-my-spirit-wasn-t-in-it/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“To ask them to legalize pot is something like asking them to put butter on the handcuffs before they place them on you: something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/to-ask-them-to-legalize-pot-is-something-like-asking-them-to-put/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“sometimes all we need to be able to continue alone are the dead rattling the walls that close us in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-all-we-need-to-be-able-to-continue-alone-are-the-dead/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I found the best thing I could do was just to type away at my own work and let the dying die as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-found-the-best-thing-i-could-do-was-just-to-type-away-at-my-own/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I didn't know who to believe but one thing I do know: when a man is living many claim relationships that are hardly so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-didn-t-know-who-to-believe-but-one-thing-i-do-know-when-a-man-is/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) [Browse all 57 Bukowski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bukowski/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I don't know. 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