--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They looked as if nothing had ever…" description: "\"They looked as if nothing had ever touched them--all well-mothered, protected, with a soft sheen of contentment. None of them had ever been in jail, or..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ac/charles-bukowski-73_bunch_they-looked-as-if-nothing-had-ever-touch_336875.jpg" --- # They looked as if nothing had ever touched them--all… ![“They looked as if nothing had ever touched them--all well-mothered, protected, with a soft sheen of contentment. None of them had ever been in jail, or worked hard with their hands, or even gotten a traffic ticket. Skimmed-milk jollies, the whole bunch.” quote by Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ac/charles-bukowski-73_bunch_they-looked-as-if-nothing-had-ever-touch_336875.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ac/charles-bukowski-73_bunch_they-looked-as-if-nothing-had-ever-touch_336875.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ac/charles-bukowski-73_bunch_they-looked-as-if-nothing-had-ever-touch_336875.jpg) > “They looked as if nothing had ever touched them--all well-mothered, protected, with a soft sheen of contentment. None of them had ever been in jail, or worked hard with their hands, or even gotten a traffic ticket. Skimmed-milk jollies, the whole bunch.” [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. The speaker describes a façade of smooth, untroubled life, masking underlying hardships and lack of authentic experience. **In simple terms:** People often hide struggles behind a polished exterior. Key Takeaway Question the authenticity of apparent perfection. Themes appearance social façade authenticity class discontent Mood cynical observational melancholic Type poetic social commentary When to use this quote - social gatherings - career success - personal introspection Key Concepts social critique self‑deception class disparity Questions to Reflect On - What lies beneath the polished exterior? - How does comfort affect personal growth? A Different Perspective Surface happiness can conceal deeper emptiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Jail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jail/) ## Related quotes > [“That way I wouldn't have to see the guys in their walking shorts. They looked as if nothing had ever touched them- all well-mothered,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/that-way-i-wouldn-t-have-to-see-the-guys-in-their-walking-shorts-they/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I’d stumbled upon the inner sanctuary of a woman who loved the world. Loved the faces of people she saw. Loved the way a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-anderson-kurk/i-d-stumbled-upon-the-inner-sanctuary-of-a-woman-who-loved-the-world/) [Laura Anderson Kurk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-anderson-kurk/) > [Everything the human being heard from the beginning, saw with its eyes, looked upon and touched with its hands was a living word; for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-georg-hamann/everything-the-human-being-heard-from-the-beginning-saw-with-its-eyes/) [Johann Georg Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-georg-hamann/) > [“You're beautiful, Delaney, and you could have anyone you want. Why me?" She knew she wasn't beautiful, not like her mother. But the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-gibson/you-re-beautiful-delaney-and-you-could-have-anyone-you-want-why-me/) [Rachel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-gibson/) > [The church has been under-fathered and over-mothered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-redman/the-church-has-been-under-fathered-and-over-mothered/) [Matt Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-redman/) > [“She mothered them. She mothered him. He hated it and loved it. He wished her quiet and prayed she would never stop talking. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/she-mothered-them-she-mothered-him-he-hated-it-and-loved-it-he-wished/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I would rather be the child of a mother who has all the inner conflicts of the human being than be mothered by someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-woods-winnicott/i-would-rather-be-the-child-of-a-mother-who-has-all-the-inner/) [Donald Woods Winnicott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-woods-winnicott/) > [I always knew my mother was different, different from the other mothers in the way she dressed, the way she spoke, but most obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-brooks/i-always-knew-my-mother-was-different-different-from-the-other/) [Kim Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-brooks/) > [I don't have this sort of checklist of things that have to be done, andif they're not checked, then I've failed some part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/i-don-t-have-this-sort-of-checklist-of-things-that-have-to-be-done/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [The women in the room chatted about love, about childhood, about losing parents, about Mr. Spock, about good books they'd read. They mothered each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/the-women-in-the-room-chatted-about-love-about-childhood-about-losing/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [To my mum, I owe security in a very insecure young life. We lived in about 10 different places because of my father's chequered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insecure-young-life-we-lived-in/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [I have nothing maternal in me, and men want to be mothered a lot of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-have-nothing-maternal-in-me-and-men-want-to-be-mothered-a-lot-of/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [I have always been a mother. When I was kid, I mothered my younger brother. I mothered my parents and even my boyfriends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/i-have-always-been-a-mother-when-i-was-kid-i-mothered-my-younger/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [Mother' is not just about the physical mother but the fact of needing to be mothered, needing to have something that surrounded me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie/mother-is-not-just-about-the-physical-mother-but-the-fact-of-needing/) [Goldie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie/) > [“When does it stop-the longing to be mothered?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lord/when-does-it-stop-the-longing-to-be-mothered/) [Emery Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lord/) ## 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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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 Bunch quotes > [At the drop of a hat, people will say there are no roles for women after 40. 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It's not an actual revolution, so you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-peters/do-you-know-what-it-is-sir-do-you-know-what-the-dance-dance/) [Russell Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-peters/) > [I would say my fraternity was nothing but a bunch of farm boys; we weren't really in the whole fraternity scene, but yeah, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-would-say-my-fraternity-was-nothing-but-a-bunch-of-farm-boys-we/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [In a way, we are magicians. We are alchemists, sorcerers and wizards. We are a very strange bunch. 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