--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing was ever in tune. People just…" description: "\"“Nothing was ever in tune. People just blindly grabbed at whatever there was: communism, health foods, zen, surfing, ballet, hypnotism, group encounter..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/charles-bukowski-73_buddhism_nothing-was-ever-in-tune-people-just-bli_815474.jpg" --- # Nothing was ever in tune. People just blindly grabbed at… ![“Nothing was ever in tune. People just blindly grabbed at whatever there was: communism, health foods, zen, surfing, ballet, hypnotism, group encounters, orgies, biking, herbs, Catholicism, weight-lifting, travel, withdrawal, vegetarianism, India, painting, writing, sculpting, composing…” quote by Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/charles-bukowski-73_buddhism_nothing-was-ever-in-tune-people-just-bli_815474.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/charles-bukowski-73_buddhism_nothing-was-ever-in-tune-people-just-bli_815474.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/charles-bukowski-73_buddhism_nothing-was-ever-in-tune-people-just-bli_815474.jpg) > ““Nothing was ever in tune. People just blindly grabbed at whatever there was: communism, health foods, zen, surfing, ballet, hypnotism, group encounters, orgies, biking, herbs, Catholicism, weight-lifting, travel, withdrawal, vegetarianism, India, painting, writing, sculpting, composing, conducting, backpacking, yoga, copulating, gambling, drinking, hanging around, frozen yogurt, Beethoven, Back, Buddha, Christ, TM, H, carrot juice, suicide, handmade suits, jet travel, New York City, and then it all evaporated and fell apart. People had to find things to do while waiting to die. I guess it was nice to have a choice.”” [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. People chase many trends and fads to fill emptiness, but they ultimately dissolve, leaving a need for purpose while awaiting mortality. **In simple terms:** People chase fads, then feel empty and seek purpose. Key Takeaway Seek lasting meaning beyond fleeting trends. Themes search emptiness purpose mortality Mood reflective melancholic contemplative Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - Crisis of meaning - coping with boredom - confronting mortality Key Concepts Consumerism existentialism nihilism Questions to Reflect On - What lasting purpose can you cultivate? - How do you resist the pull of fleeting fads? A Different Perspective Trends are temporary and cannot replace deep fulfillment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Communism Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communism-health-314623/) [Grabbed Communism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grabbed-communism-314625/) [Hanging around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hanging-around/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Juice Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/juice-suicide-314624/) [New york city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york-city/) [People Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-things/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Tune People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tune-people-314626/) [York City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york-city/) ## Related quotes > [I like hanging around the set and learning how people do things, how the set runs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/i-like-hanging-around-the-set-and-learning-how-people-do-things-how/) [D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/) > [If I write a tune and people think it's nice, then that's fine by me, but I hate having to compete and promote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/if-i-write-a-tune-and-people-think-it-s-nice-then-that-s-fine-by-me/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) > [TV is tricky. You can do some stuff and people will tune out and never tune back in. It's sort of like putting a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nene-leakes/tv-is-tricky-you-can-do-some-stuff-and-people-will-tune-out-and-never/) [NeNe Leakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nene-leakes/) > [People got a little too self-conscious about the techniques that go into recording because sometimes, if you sing too well in tune, people accuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-rundgren/people-got-a-little-too-self-conscious-about-the-techniques-that-go/) [Todd Rundgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-rundgren/) > [You've got to tune out the other people and tune in to what's going on inside. Love yourself. Nourish your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-burke/you-ve-got-to-tune-out-the-other-people-and-tune-in-to-what-s-going/) [Cheryl Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-burke/) > [“It is important to know when to tune out of people, and when to tune into yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/it-is-important-to-know-when-to-tune-out-of-people-and-when-to-tune/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [I'm just gonna keep making good music and continue to stay in tune with the people and with reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tee-grizzley/i-m-just-gonna-keep-making-good-music-and-continue-to-stay-in-tune/) [Tee Grizzley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tee-grizzley/) > [Since I'm not in WWE, some people think I'm not even in their league. It's easy for me to tune those people out because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/since-i-m-not-in-wwe-some-people-think-i-m-not-even-in-their-league/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [I wasn’t going anywhere and neither was the rest of the world. We were all just hanging around waiting to die and meanwhile doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-wasn-t-going-anywhere-and-neither-was-the-rest-of-the-world-we-were/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I was feeling unfulfilled and, frankly, rather crappy about everything. I wasn't going anywhere and neither was the rest of the world. We were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-was-feeling-unfulfilled-and-frankly-rather-crappy-about-everything/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/some-people-see-things-that-are-and-ask-why-some-people-dream-of/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [You can't expect people to give you the things you love, unless you know how to ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-valentine/you-can-t-expect-people-to-give-you-the-things-you-love-unless-you/) [Genevieve Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-valentine/) > [“... not talking about things she doesn't understand to people who do or about things she does to people who don't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-crowninshield/not-talking-about-things-she-doesn-t-understand-to-people-who-do-or/) [Frank Crowninshield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-crowninshield/) > [“Nosy people find out things they’d rather not know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-jefferies/nosy-people-find-out-things-they-d-rather-not-know/) [Dinah Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-jefferies/) > [“Powerful people sometimes do things to help people like me without really understanding people like me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/powerful-people-sometimes-do-things-to-help-people-like-me-without/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) ## 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 Buddhism quotes > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Enlightenment is lightening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/enlightenment-is-lightening-up/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/) [Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The extraction of discrete parts of Chöd teachings from their broader philosophical contexts is symptomatic of how Chöd has been incorporated into and transmitted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sorensen/the-extraction-of-discrete-parts-of-ch-d-teachings-from-their-broader/) [Michelle Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sorensen/) > [Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buddhism-advises-you-not-to-implant-feelings-that-you-don-t-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“That's all there is, enlightenment on the end of a cock. It doesn't get any more Zen than that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden-wilkes/that-s-all-there-is-enlightenment-on-the-end-of-a-cock-it-doesn-t-get/) [Jaden Wilkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden-wilkes/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) [Browse all 6,100 Buddhism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Nothing was ever in tune. People just blindly grabbed at whatever there was: communism, health foods, zen, surfing, ballet, hypnotism, group encounters, orgies, biking, herbs, Catholicism, weight-lifting, travel, withdrawal, vegetarianism, India, painting, writing, sculpting, composing, conducting, backpacking, yoga, copulating, gambling, drinking, hanging around, frozen yogurt, Beethoven, Back, Buddha, Christ, TM, H, carrot juice, suicide, handmade suits, jet travel, New York City, and then it all evaporated and fell apart. People had to find things to do while waiting to die. I guess it was nice to have a choice.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Bukowski" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/nothing-was-ever-in-tune-people-just-blindly-grabbed-at-whatever/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Buddhism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/nothing-was-ever-in-tune-people-just-blindly-grabbed-at-whatever/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/charles-bukowski-73_buddhism_nothing-was-ever-in-tune-people-just-bli_815474.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/charles-bukowski-73_buddhism_nothing-was-ever-in-tune-people-just-bli_815474.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/charles-bukowski-73_buddhism_nothing-was-ever-in-tune-people-just-bli_815474.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nothing was ever in tune. People just blindly grabbed at whatever there was: communism, health foods, zen…” — Charles Bukowski", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Bukowski", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Nothing was ever in tune. People...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/nothing-was-ever-in-tune-people-just-blindly-grabbed-at-whatever/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/nothing-was-ever-in-tune-people-just-blindly-grabbed-at-whatever/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```