--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're going to try, go all the way…" description: "\"If you're going to try, go all the way. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs and maybe your mind.\" — Charles Bukowski" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/charles-bukowski-73_girlfriend_if-you-re-going-to-try-go-all-the-way-th_2362434.jpg" --- # If you're going to try, go all the way. This could mean… ![“If you're going to try, go all the way. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs and maybe your mind.” quote by Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/charles-bukowski-73_girlfriend_if-you-re-going-to-try-go-all-the-way-th_2362434.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/charles-bukowski-73_girlfriend_if-you-re-going-to-try-go-all-the-way-th_2362434.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/charles-bukowski-73_girlfriend_if-you-re-going-to-try-go-all-the-way-th_2362434.jpg) > “If you're going to try, go all the way. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs and maybe your mind.” [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. Total commitment demands sacrifice; pursuing a goal fully may cost relationships and stability. **In simple terms:** Going all in can cost personal ties. Key Takeaway Commit fully, accept consequences. Themes commitment risk personal sacrifice Mood intense serious Type motivational cautionary When to use this quote - career pursuit - artistic ambition - relationship decisions - mental health - financial risk Key Concepts existentialism determinism Questions to Reflect On - Are you willing to lose everything for your goal? - What boundaries protect your health? A Different Perspective Total sacrifice may not guarantee success and can harm wellbeing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Girlfriend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girlfriend/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Going Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-try-248805/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Losing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losing/) [Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe/) [Maybe Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe-mind-3281558/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mean Losing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-losing-531614/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/) ## Related quotes > [“roll the dice if you’re going to try, go all the way. otherwise, don’t get into it. if you’re going to try, go all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/roll-the-dice-if-you-re-going-to-try-go-all-the-way-otherwise-don-t/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“r o l l t h e d i c e if you’re going to try, go all the way. otherwise, don’t even start.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/r-o-l-l-t-h-e-d-i-c-e-if-you-re-going-to-try-go-all-the-way-otherwise/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/if-you-re-going-to-try-go-all-the-way-otherwise-don-t-even-start-this/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Maybe if your mind was as open as your mouth, You'd understand that regardless of what anyone wears, looks like, or sings about, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/motionless-in-white/maybe-if-your-mind-was-as-open-as-your-mouth-you-d-understand-that/) [Motionless In White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/motionless-in-white/) > [..but maybe this was a defense mechanism. Maybe my mind was making me see things I refused to accept were gone forever. 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I want to know… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/well-i-don-t-know-about-you-but-i-m-going-to-try-everything-war-women/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [If you are going to try, go all the way or don't even start. If you follow it you will be alive with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/if-you-are-going-to-try-go-all-the-way-or-don-t-even-start-if-you/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [If you're going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. 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So, dare to fail forward!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olawale-daniel/failing-may-not-necessarily-mean-you-re-losing-out-it-may-be-your/) [Olawale Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olawale-daniel/) > [Just because I'm losing a battle, doesn't mean I'm losing the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/just-because-i-m-losing-a-battle-doesn-t-mean-i-m-losing-the-war/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“Defeat does not mean losing. Rather, a pause, a moment to re-think, re-plan, to re-structure to gain”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-da-costa/defeat-does-not-mean-losing-rather-a-pause-a-moment-to-re-think-re/) [Simone Da Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-da-costa/) ## 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. 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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. 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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 Girlfriend quotes > [Make sure he doesn't have a girlfriend or you'd be wasting time and efforts on something useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-sure-he-doesn-t-have-a-girlfriend-or-you-d-be-wasting-time-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. 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