--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm never sure why I do anything, to tell…" description: "\"I'm never sure why I do anything, to tell you the truth.\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/leonard-cohen-448_truth_i-m-never-sure-why-i-do-anything-to-tell_1570711.jpg" --- # I'm never sure why I do anything, to tell you the truth. ![“I'm never sure why I do anything, to tell you the truth.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/leonard-cohen-448_truth_i-m-never-sure-why-i-do-anything-to-tell_1570711.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/leonard-cohen-448_truth_i-m-never-sure-why-i-do-anything-to-tell_1570711.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/leonard-cohen-448_truth_i-m-never-sure-why-i-do-anything-to-tell_1570711.jpg) > “I'm never sure why I do anything, to tell you the truth.” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## 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 doubts his motives, confessing uncertainty about his actions. **In simple terms:** Uncertain why I act, I admit. Key Takeaway Reflect on personal motivations. Themes self‑doubt confession motivation Mood melancholic introspective Type song lyric poetic When to use this quote - creative writing - therapy - personal journaling - relationship counseling Key Concepts existentialism psychology artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - What drives your actions? - How do you confront uncertainty? A Different Perspective Self‑examination can be uncomfortable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Write,' she said, 'as if you'll never be read. 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I run my fingers along the tendons in his hands and look back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-have-something-i-need-to-tell-you-he-says-i-run-my-fingers-along/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it. I just want to own my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/i-just-want-to-make-sure-i-could-tell-my-story-the-way-i-want-to-tell/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [Don't trust your friends 100% because if you tell them a secret I'm sure they will tell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-trust-your-friends-100-because-if-you-tell-them-a-secret-i-m/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want you to know something but I'm not sure how to tell you, so I'll let the first three words do the explaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-you-to-know-something-but-i-m-not-sure-how-to-tell-you-so-i-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have something to tell you," he says. I run my fingers along the tendons in his hand and look back at him. "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-have-something-to-tell-you-he-says-i-run-my-fingers-along-the/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Tell the truth or trump-but get the trick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/tell-the-truth-or-trump-but-get-the-trick/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I'm objective because I tell the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-m-objective-because-i-tell-the-truth/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [When you're playing country music, you have to tell the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-kane/when-you-re-playing-country-music-you-have-to-tell-the-truth/) [Christian Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-kane/) > [Tell the truth and you won't have so much to remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/tell-the-truth-and-you-won-t-have-so-much-to-remember/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Tell the truth, or someone else will tell it for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tell-the-truth-or-someone-else-will-tell-it-for-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It requires as much to tell the truth as to conceal it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/it-requires-as-much-to-tell-the-truth-as-to-conceal-it/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [When a young artist asks me a question, I want to do what I can to give them an answer if I have it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tait/when-a-young-artist-asks-me-a-question-i-want-to-do-what-i-can-to/) [Michael Tait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tait/) ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-don-t-know-me-from-the-wind-you-never-will-you-never-did-i-m-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can... reconcile and embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-world-is-full-of-conflicts-and-full-of-things-that-cannot-be/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [ I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on \[some of my songs\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deserves-the-royalties-on-some-of/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [One is given to self-dramatization from time to time. I intend to live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/one-is-given-to-self-dramatization-from-time-to-time-i-intend-to-live/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [The basic function of popular music is to create an environment for courting, lovemaking, and doing the dishes. It's useful because it addresses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-basic-function-of-popular-music-is-to-create-an-environment-for/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/blessed-are-you-embrace-of-the-falling-foundation-of-the-light-master/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I continually blacken pages and scribble away, so I always have a number of songs that are half-finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-continually-blacken-pages-and-scribble-away-so-i-always-have-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I have nothing against the Queen of England. Even in my heart I never resented her for not being Jackie Kennedy. She is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-have-nothing-against-the-queen-of-england-even-in-my-heart-i-never/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I loved you when you opened like a lily to the heat; you see I’m just another snowman standing in the rain and sleet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-loved-you-when-you-opened-like-a-lily-to-the-heat-you-see-i-m-just/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It's time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-s-time-that-we-began-to-laugh-and-cry-and-cry-and-laugh-about-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“I followed the course From chaos to art Desire the horse Depression the cart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-followed-the-course-from-chaos-to-art-desire-the-horse-depression/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Explore all 543 Leonard Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More Sure quotes > [“Are you sure?" he asked in a low voice. 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