--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Jimmy decided to get drunk—not just drunk…" description: "\"“Jimmy decided to get drunk—not just drunk enough to enjoy life (here he grinned, and Cecily smiled back), not just drunk enough to fuck Cecily for ins..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/william-t-vollmann-2100_enjoy-life_jimmy-decided-to-get-drunk-not-just-drun_1562917.jpg" --- # Jimmy decided to get drunk—not just drunk enough to enjoy… ![“Jimmy decided to get drunk—not just drunk enough to enjoy life (here he grinned, and Cecily smiled back), not just drunk enough to fuck Cecily for instance up the ass without a rubber, not just drunk enough to hear bees buzzing round his ears and wake up in another bad place he'd never seen before…” quote by William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/william-t-vollmann-2100_enjoy-life_jimmy-decided-to-get-drunk-not-just-drun_1562917.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/william-t-vollmann-2100_enjoy-life_jimmy-decided-to-get-drunk-not-just-drun_1562917.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/william-t-vollmann-2100_enjoy-life_jimmy-decided-to-get-drunk-not-just-drun_1562917.jpg) > ““Jimmy decided to get drunk—not just drunk enough to enjoy life (here he grinned, and Cecily smiled back), not just drunk enough to fuck Cecily for instance up the ass without a rubber, not just drunk enough to hear bees buzzing round his ears and wake up in another bad place he'd never seen before with crushed bugs on the walls and men maybe standing over him looking down at him with their teeth drawn away from their lips, and puke cold and sticky all over his face again, puke being the concretization of Jimmy's disgust with Jimmy whose eyes would be burning and throat burning and stomach squirming like a guilty squid and every muscle aching, and the dry heaves inside him just like heartbeats, just like yesterday;—no, he wanted to be drunk enough to scientifically establish the existence of the whores that he could see all around him. (Jimmy had always liked whores.) So he started drinking.”” [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jimmy drinks to the point of self‑destruction, seeking proof of his own disgust and the world’s depravity. **In simple terms:** He drinks to prove how bad things are. Key Takeaway Recognize self‑destructive coping. Themes addiction despair self‑awareness Mood despair dark introspective Type narrative cautionary When to use this quote - nightlife - personal crisis - relationship breakdown - mental health - alcoholism Key Concepts existential nihilism psychological escape Questions to Reflect On - What does Jimmy hope to discover? - How does self‑destruction mask deeper pain? A Different Perspective Alcohol cannot truly reveal truth, only blur perception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enjoy life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“Jimmy liked to control his environment. He didn’t drink, so no one took a drink in his presence. He didn’t smoke, so nobody lit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/jimmy-liked-to-control-his-environment-he-didn-t-drink-so-no-one-took/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“Correct me if I'm wrong here, but didn't we just get beat up for not being fags?" "Sorry, you just don't scream hetero he-man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-parker/correct-me-if-i-m-wrong-here-but-didn-t-we-just-get-beat-up-for-not/) [Elle Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-parker/) > [“Lucretius poetic, or “everything is infinite randomness, life is awesome, let’s get drunk and fuck.” I don’t need a reason to live, I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-welch/lucretius-poetic-or-everything-is-infinite-randomness-life-is-awesome/) [Peter Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-welch/) > [Now I'm drunk as fuck about to pass out, destination you're mother's couch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hollywood-undead/now-i-m-drunk-as-fuck-about-to-pass-out-destination-you-re-mother-s/) [Hollywood Undead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hollywood-undead/) > [“Recognize and appreciate little things, and enjoy what Life has to offer”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-nikko-caharian-iii/recognize-and-appreciate-little-things-and-enjoy-what-life-has-to/) Cesar Nikko Caharian III > [Enjoy life to the fulliest with out embarrassing your mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neijka-carty/enjoy-life-to-the-fulliest-with-out-embarrassing-your-mother/) [Neijka Carty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neijka-carty/) > [Happiness is not about the trophy, or the finish line. It's the journey. If you enjoy your journey, you can enjoy your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharrell-williams/happiness-is-not-about-the-trophy-or-the-finish-line-it-s-the-journey/) [Pharrell Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharrell-williams/) > [Just have fun. Smile. And keep putting on lipstick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-keaton/just-have-fun-smile-and-keep-putting-on-lipstick/) [Diane Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-keaton/) > [It's hard no to work, so I find a way to put myself back to work. And I think it's important, in between projects,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/it-s-hard-no-to-work-so-i-find-a-way-to-put-myself-back-to-work-and-i/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [Marriages are always moving from one season to another. Sometimes we find ourselves in winter--discouraged, detached, and dissatisfied; other times we experience springtime, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/marriages-are-always-moving-from-one-season-to-another-sometimes-we/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [Attempt to be creative for the joy it brings… Select something like music, dance, sculpture, or poetry. Being creative will help you enjoy life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/attempt-to-be-creative-for-the-joy-it-brings-select-something-like/) [Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/) > [“I soon saw, however, that Creed's obsession with death was typical of most of the children. This came out in their play. "Let's play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/i-soon-saw-however-that-creed-s-obsession-with-death-was-typical-of/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) > [“I enjoy life so much more now, and I try hard to appreciate each and every day, but deep down I am still afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaycee-dugard/i-enjoy-life-so-much-more-now-and-i-try-hard-to-appreciate-each-and/) [Jaycee Dugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaycee-dugard/) > [“Our irises are galaxies; our pupils are black holes if we allow ourselves to bottle up everything inside us instead of allowing ourselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaclyn-johnston/our-irises-are-galaxies-our-pupils-are-black-holes-if-we-allow/) Jaclyn Johnston > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) ## More by William T. Vollmann > [Some friends and I, we went right up there behind the studio and we got on a train, we could tell it was going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/some-friends-and-i-we-went-right-up-there-behind-the-studio-and-we/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [I read and write for most of the day, but I do let myself be interrupted by real life. I enjoy going out with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/i-read-and-write-for-most-of-the-day-but-i-do-let-myself-be/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [“A treble clef, for example, resembles a Muscovite or Leningrader in a bulky hooded parka. A bass clef bends as simply and painfully as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/a-treble-clef-for-example-resembles-a-muscovite-or-leningrader-in-a/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Oh, ants, my sisters, good old honeydew-seekers! From close up you are sticky and shiny and gristly; and your nymphs have parasitic red mites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/oh-ants-my-sisters-good-old-honeydew-seekers-from-close-up-you-are/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [It will be fun to give some to prostitutes,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/it-will-be-fun-to-give-some-to-prostitutes/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [If I didn't feel that I was doing something or trying to do something for others, then I would have very little excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/if-i-didn-t-feel-that-i-was-doing-something-or-trying-to-do-something/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Just for the hell of it, try to love someone as unlike you as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/just-for-the-hell-of-it-try-to-love-someone-as-unlike-you-as-possible/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [“The shortest man, codenamed RIMSKY, said to me that freedom means understanding our place within the laws of history; we are more free when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/the-shortest-man-codenamed-rimsky-said-to-me-that-freedom-means/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [“Do you want to know what happiness is? Happiness is the absence of unpleasant information.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/do-you-want-to-know-what-happiness-is-happiness-is-the-absence-of/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [My father hates organized religion, probably because he hates the God who killed his little girl back in 1968. I find religions variously bemusing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/my-father-hates-organized-religion-probably-because-he-hates-the-god/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [There's an Inuit myth about the origin of the human race. There were two brothers, and the younger brother eventually gets changed into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/there-s-an-inuit-myth-about-the-origin-of-the-human-race-there-were/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Don't write for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/don-t-write-for-money/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [I first got really interested in Noh in about 1977. There was an independent bookstore in Bloomington, Indiana where I was going to high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/i-first-got-really-interested-in-noh-in-about-1977-there-was-an/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [“More aid, better directed! Couldn't we all use that? And what if the universe enacts less aid, more poorly directed?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/more-aid-better-directed-couldn-t-we-all-use-that-and-what-if-the/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [“whatever fate sends us quickly becomes us, and we grow blind to what we might otherwise have been. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/whatever-fate-sends-us-quickly-becomes-us-and-we-grow-blind-to-what/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) [Explore all 186 William T. Vollmann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) ## More Enjoy life quotes > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) > [“Our irises are galaxies; our pupils are black holes if we allow ourselves to bottle up everything inside us instead of allowing ourselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaclyn-johnston/our-irises-are-galaxies-our-pupils-are-black-holes-if-we-allow/) Jaclyn Johnston > [“I enjoy life so much more now, and I try hard to appreciate each and every day, but deep down I am still afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaycee-dugard/i-enjoy-life-so-much-more-now-and-i-try-hard-to-appreciate-each-and/) [Jaycee Dugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaycee-dugard/) > [“I soon saw, however, that Creed's obsession with death was typical of most of the children. This came out in their play. "Let's play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/i-soon-saw-however-that-creed-s-obsession-with-death-was-typical-of/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) > [Attempt to be creative for the joy it brings… Select something like music, dance, sculpture, or poetry. Being creative will help you enjoy life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/attempt-to-be-creative-for-the-joy-it-brings-select-something-like/) [Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/) > [Marriages are always moving from one season to another. Sometimes we find ourselves in winter--discouraged, detached, and dissatisfied; other times we experience springtime, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/marriages-are-always-moving-from-one-season-to-another-sometimes-we/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [It's hard no to work, so I find a way to put myself back to work. And I think it's important, in between projects,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/it-s-hard-no-to-work-so-i-find-a-way-to-put-myself-back-to-work-and-i/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [Just have fun. Smile. And keep putting on lipstick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-keaton/just-have-fun-smile-and-keep-putting-on-lipstick/) [Diane Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-keaton/) > [Happiness is not about the trophy, or the finish line. It's the journey. If you enjoy your journey, you can enjoy your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharrell-williams/happiness-is-not-about-the-trophy-or-the-finish-line-it-s-the-journey/) [Pharrell Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharrell-williams/) > [Enjoy life to the fulliest with out embarrassing your mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neijka-carty/enjoy-life-to-the-fulliest-with-out-embarrassing-your-mother/) [Neijka Carty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neijka-carty/) > [“Recognize and appreciate little things, and enjoy what Life has to offer”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-nikko-caharian-iii/recognize-and-appreciate-little-things-and-enjoy-what-life-has-to/) Cesar Nikko Caharian III > [“We have plenty of time to be gloom when we are dead we have plenty of time to laugh when we are alive…ENJOY LIFE!!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-ramirez/we-have-plenty-of-time-to-be-gloom-when-we-are-dead-we-have-plenty-of/) Natalie Ramirez > [“We are perfect children. Mentally, physically, emotionally, we are wholesome, and godly in every way possible. We have as much right to live, love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-c-andrews/we-are-perfect-children-mentally-physically-emotionally-we-are/) [V.C. Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-c-andrews/) > [Enjoy your own life without comparing it with that of another for there will always be others whose lives on the face of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-de-caritat-marquis-de-condorcet/enjoy-your-own-life-without-comparing-it-with-that-of-another-for/) [Nicolas de Caritat, marquis de Condorcet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-de-caritat-marquis-de-condorcet/) > [It is essential to learn to enjoy life. It really does not make sense to go through the motions of existence if one does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/it-is-essential-to-learn-to-enjoy-life-it-really-does-not-make-sense/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) [Browse all 1,078 Enjoy life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Jimmy decided to get drunk—not just drunk enough to enjoy life (here he grinned, and Cecily smiled back), not just drunk enough to fuck Cecily for instance up the ass without a rubber, not just drunk enough to hear bees buzzing round his ears and wake up in another bad place he'd never seen before with crushed bugs on the walls and men maybe standing over him looking down at him with their teeth drawn away from their lips, and puke cold and sticky all over his face again, puke being the concretization of Jimmy's disgust with Jimmy whose eyes would be burning and throat burning and stomach squirming like a guilty squid and every muscle aching, and the dry heaves inside him just like heartbeats, just like yesterday;—no, he wanted to be drunk enough to scientifically establish the existence of the whores that he could see all around him. (Jimmy had always liked whores.) So he started drinking.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William T. Vollmann" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/jimmy-decided-to-get-drunk-not-just-drunk-enough-to-enjoy-life-here/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enjoy life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/jimmy-decided-to-get-drunk-not-just-drunk-enough-to-enjoy-life-here/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/william-t-vollmann-2100_enjoy-life_jimmy-decided-to-get-drunk-not-just-drun_1562917.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/william-t-vollmann-2100_enjoy-life_jimmy-decided-to-get-drunk-not-just-drun_1562917.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/william-t-vollmann-2100_enjoy-life_jimmy-decided-to-get-drunk-not-just-drun_1562917.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Jimmy decided to get drunk—not just drunk enough to enjoy life (here he grinned, and Cecily smiled back)…” — William T. Vollmann", "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": "William T. Vollmann", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Jimmy decided to get drunk—not just...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/jimmy-decided-to-get-drunk-not-just-drunk-enough-to-enjoy-life-here/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/jimmy-decided-to-get-drunk-not-just-drunk-enough-to-enjoy-life-here/#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 } } ] } ```