--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Somebody was always controlling who got a…" description: "\"“Somebody was always controlling who got a chance and who didn’t.”\" — Charles Bukowski" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/charles-bukowski-73_chance_somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got_2832395.jpg" --- # Somebody was always controlling who got a chance and who… ![“Somebody was always controlling who got a chance and who didn’t.” quote by Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/charles-bukowski-73_chance_somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got_2832395.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/charles-bukowski-73_chance_somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got_2832395.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/charles-bukowski-73_chance_somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got_2832395.jpg) > ““Somebody was always 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. Opportunities are often distributed by those in power, limiting fairness. **In simple terms:** Power decides who gets chances. Key Takeaway Advocate for equitable chance for. Themes power inequality opportunity Mood critical aware Type philosophical social When to use this quote - employment - education - politics - media Key Concepts social hierarchy justice Questions to Reflect On - How can you support marginalized voices? - What small actions can you take to level the field? A Different Perspective Changing power structures is slow and resisted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Chance Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance-didn-611268/) [Controlling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controlling/) [Controlling Got](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controlling-got-3668001/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Somebody Controlling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somebody-controlling-2637118/) ## Related quotes > [Just when you think you've got your kids figured out, they change on you. For somebody who's controlling, you can't control it. Of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/just-when-you-think-you-ve-got-your-kids-figured-out-they-change-on/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [Once you get it into your head that somebody is controlling events, you can interpret everything in that light and find no reasonable certainty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/once-you-get-it-into-your-head-that-somebody-is-controlling-events/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [All a guy needed was a chance. Somebody was alway controlling who got a chance and who didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/all-a-guy-needed-was-a-chance-somebody-was-alway-controlling-who-got/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“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'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/) > [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/) > [We seal our fate with the choices we take, but don't give a second thought to the chances we take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/we-seal-our-fate-with-the-choices-we-take-but-don-t-give-a-second/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [Everybody needs a chance to find love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-longoria/everybody-needs-a-chance-to-find-love/) [Eva Longoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-longoria/) > [If you scared to take chances, you'll never have the answers...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/if-you-scared-to-take-chances-you-ll-never-have-the-answers/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) ## 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 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. No one ever thought I'd be the champ, and look where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stipe-miocic/i-understand-it-s-promotion-but-no-one-ever-gave-me-a-chance-no-one/) [Stipe Miocic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stipe-miocic/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. 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. And by chance and how the world works, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-thought-my-first-few-jobs-would-just-be-off-off-off-off-off/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [If you’re worrying about the past, you’ve got a good chance of screwing up the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-a-tullman/if-you-re-worrying-about-the-past-you-ve-got-a-good-chance-of/) [Howard A. Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) [Browse all 12,460 Chance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Somebody was always controlling who got a chance and who didn’t.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Bukowski" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got-a-chance-and-who-didn-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got-a-chance-and-who-didn-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/charles-bukowski-73_chance_somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got_2832395.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/charles-bukowski-73_chance_somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got_2832395.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/charles-bukowski-73_chance_somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got_2832395.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Somebody was always controlling who got a chance and who didn’t.” — 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": "“Somebody was always controlling who got...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got-a-chance-and-who-didn-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/somebody-was-always-controlling-who-got-a-chance-and-who-didn-t/#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 } } ] } ```