--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No matter how much I wanted all those…" description: "\"No matter how much I wanted all those things that I needed money to buy, there was some devilish current pushing me off in another direction -- toward ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d4/hunter-s-thompson-278_anarchy_no-matter-how-much-i-wanted-all-those-th_144354.jpg" --- # No matter how much I wanted all those things that I needed… ![“No matter how much I wanted all those things that I needed money to buy, there was some devilish current pushing me off in another direction -- toward anarchy and poverty and craziness. That maddening delusion that a man can lead a decent life without hiring himself out as a Judas Goat.” quote by Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d4/hunter-s-thompson-278_anarchy_no-matter-how-much-i-wanted-all-those-th_144354.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d4/hunter-s-thompson-278_anarchy_no-matter-how-much-i-wanted-all-those-th_144354.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d4/hunter-s-thompson-278_anarchy_no-matter-how-much-i-wanted-all-those-th_144354.jpg) > “No matter how much I wanted all those things that I needed money to buy, there was some devilish current pushing me off in another direction -- toward anarchy and poverty and craziness. That maddening delusion that a man can lead a decent life without hiring himself out as a Judas Goat.” [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes a conflict between material desire and a rebellious urge toward chaos, questioning conventional success. **In simple terms:** He feels torn between wealth and anarchic freedom. Key Takeaway Question societal definitions of success. Themes materialism rebellion existential conflict Mood cynical reflective Type philosophical social When to use this quote - choosing a career - rejecting consumerism - philosophical reflection Key Concepts wealth vs freedom social expectations personal rebellion Questions to Reflect On - What does success truly mean to you? - Can you reconcile desire with freedom? A Different Perspective The pull of chaos may lead to instability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy/) [Craziness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craziness/) [Decent life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decent-life/) [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Devilish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devilish/) [Judas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judas/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) ## Related quotes > [It's the anarchy of poverty delights me, the old yellow wooden house indented among the new brick tenements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carlos-williams/it-s-the-anarchy-of-poverty-delights-me-the-old-yellow-wooden-house/) [William Carlos Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carlos-williams/) > [You can't criticize people for wanting to have a decent life or wanting to live decently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/you-can-t-criticize-people-for-wanting-to-have-a-decent-life-or/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [The need for de-development presents our economists with a major challenge. They must design a stable, low-consumption economy in which there is a much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/the-need-for-de-development-presents-our-economists-with-a-major/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [A decent life was the train that hadn’t hit you, the slumlord you hadn’t offended, the malaria you hadn’t caught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/a-decent-life-was-the-train-that-hadn-t-hit-you-the-slumlord-you-hadn/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [What we have done with the American Indian is its way as bad as what we imposed on the Negroes. We took a proud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/what-we-have-done-with-the-american-indian-is-its-way-as-bad-as-what/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [I decided that I was ready to assume this position when I discovered that the chance to save the country was very meager. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdel-fattah-el-sisi/i-decided-that-i-was-ready-to-assume-this-position-when-i-discovered/) [Abdel Fattah el-Sisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdel-fattah-el-sisi/) > [If there is a God, you owe him far more than a morally decent life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-there-is-a-god-you-owe-him-far-more-than-a-morally-decent-life/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/overcoming-poverty-is-not-a-gesture-of-charity-it-is-an-act-of-justice/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [What was wrong with me? I had a decent life. I was healthy. I wasn't starving or maimed by a land mine or orphaned.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/what-was-wrong-with-me-i-had-a-decent-life-i-was-healthy-i-wasn-t/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Sunja-ya, a woman’s life is endless work and suffering. There is suffering and then more suffering. It’s better to expect it, you know. You’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/sunja-ya-a-woman-s-life-is-endless-work-and-suffering-there-is/) [Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/) > [Sustainable development is not an option! It is the only path that allows all of humanity to share a decent life on this, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sha-zukang/sustainable-development-is-not-an-option-it-is-the-only-path-that/) Sha Zukang > [Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/overcoming-poverty-is-not-a-gesture-of-charity-it-is-an-act-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For half of the world's population, roughly three billion people around the world living on less than two dollars a day, an election is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/for-half-of-the-world-s-population-roughly-three-billion-people/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It is important that our relationship with farm animals is reciprocal. We owe animals a decent life and a painless death. I have observed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/it-is-important-that-our-relationship-with-farm-animals-is-reciprocal/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [You've got a generation of young men - almost all are young men - in situations of great economic hardship, where they don't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/you-ve-got-a-generation-of-young-men-almost-all-are-young-men-in/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) ## More by Hunter S. Thompson > [“There was also the fact that sending a penniless writer to get $135 worth of beer was — as Khrushchev said of Nixon —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-was-also-the-fact-that-sending-a-penniless-writer-to-get-135/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“Cases of champagne and scotch lay broken in the street, and everyone I saw had a bottle. They were screaming and dancing, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/cases-of-champagne-and-scotch-lay-broken-in-the-street-and-everyone-i/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [No music + Bad TV = Bad mood & no pages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-music-bad-tv-bad-mood-no-pages/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [By disgracing and degrading the presidency of the United States, by fleeing the White House like a diseased cur, Richard Nixon broke the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/by-disgracing-and-degrading-the-presidency-of-the-united-states-by/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [No one holds command over me. No man. No god. No Prince. What is a claim of age for ones who are immortal? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-one-holds-command-over-me-no-man-no-god-no-prince-what-is-a-claim/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“The person who doesn't scatter the morning dew will not comb grey hairs”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-person-who-doesn-t-scatter-the-morning-dew-will-not-comb-grey/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Hope rises and dreams flicker and die. Love plans for tomorrow and loneliness thinks of yesterday. Life is beautiful and living is pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/hope-rises-and-dreams-flicker-and-die-love-plans-for-tomorrow-and/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [If we get chased out of Iraq with our tail between our legs, that will be the fifth consecutive Third-world country with no hint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-we-get-chased-out-of-iraq-with-our-tail-between-our-legs-that-will/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [At age 22 I set what I insist is an all-time record for distance hitchhiking in Bermuda shorts: 3,700 miles in three weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/at-age-22-i-set-what-i-insist-is-an-all-time-record-for-distance/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Paranoia is just another mask for ignorance. The truth, when you finally chase it down is almost always far worse than your darkest visions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/paranoia-is-just-another-mask-for-ignorance-the-truth-when-you/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“No doubt they all Got What Was Coming To Them. All those pathetically eager acid freaks who thought they could buy Peace and Understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-doubt-they-all-got-what-was-coming-to-them-all-those-pathetically/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“For several months they'd been drifting toward political involvement, but the picture was hazy and one of the most confusing elements was their geographical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/for-several-months-they-d-been-drifting-toward-political-involvement/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [He wandered into the Newsroom and asked for a job the same way he’d walk into a barbershop and ask for a haircut, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/he-wandered-into-the-newsroom-and-asked-for-a-job-the-same-way-he-d/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [There's no point in getting into politics at all unless you plan to lash things around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-no-point-in-getting-into-politics-at-all-unless-you-plan-to/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [There’s a lot of things wrong with this country, but one of the few things still right with it is that a man can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-a-lot-of-things-wrong-with-this-country-but-one-of-the-few/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) [Explore all 765 Hunter S. Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) ## More Anarchy quotes > [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-is-the-collective-organization-of-the-individual-s-right-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [So far I'm still standing on 'Sons of Anarchy' but all the rest of the people on the show have me in their crosshairs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-pileggi/so-far-i-m-still-standing-on-sons-of-anarchy-but-all-the-rest-of-the/) Mitch Pileggi > [“Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science and Bad Religion in a World Without God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/anarchy-evolution-faith-science-and-bad-religion-in-a-world-without/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [Perhaps it is this theory of all work and no play that has made the Marxist such a very dull boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-read/perhaps-it-is-this-theory-of-all-work-and-no-play-that-has-made-the/) [Herbert Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-read/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [In morals as in politics anarchy is not for the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/in-morals-as-in-politics-anarchy-is-not-for-the-weak/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [I think that if you run a big company, you've got to, four or five times a year, just say, 'Hey team, look, here's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-think-that-if-you-run-a-big-company-you-ve-got-to-four-or-five/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [Where you have no religion, you are sure to have no government, for as religion disappears, anarchy takes place and fixes a compleat Hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-morgan/where-you-have-no-religion-you-are-sure-to-have-no-government-for-as/) [Daniel Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-morgan/) > [What a comfort it is to feel that amid the chaos and anarchy which sweep the surface, God is holding fast the foundations on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-b-meyer/what-a-comfort-it-is-to-feel-that-amid-the-chaos-and-anarchy-which/) [F.B. Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-b-meyer/) > [“An anarchist government somehow creates an impression in the hearts of citizens that no one cares.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-anarchist-government-somehow-creates-an-impression-in-the-hearts/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Would you like to do something good for the future of the human race; well, start killing some of its powerful members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-brown/would-you-like-to-do-something-good-for-the-future-of-the-human-race/) [William C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-brown/) > [“twenty-three years of RFRAs to produce anarchy,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corvino/twenty-three-years-of-rfras-to-produce-anarchy/) [John Corvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corvino/) > [Freedom is that faculty that enlarges the usefulness of all other faculties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/freedom-is-that-faculty-that-enlarges-the-usefulness-of-all-other/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) [Browse all 795 Anarchy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No matter how much I wanted all those things that I needed money to buy, there was some devilish current pushing me off in another direction -- toward anarchy and poverty and craziness. 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