Another quote attributed to Charles Bukowski and copied all over without any details: "the problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts while the stupid ones are full of confidence". Does anyone know if this is a real Bukowski quote? Thanks!
The phrase "full of doubt" doesn't appear in any of his books. If it's a real Bukowski quote it would have to come from an interview somewhere. My two cents is it doesn't sound like Bukowski. It's pedestrian and not even proper English (doubt, not doubts). If it turned out to be from an interview I'd be surprised. But I've been surprised and wrong once or twice before. But just once or twice.
I tried Googling the sentence and found this at http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/russell.htm : "The fundamental cause of trouble in the world today is that the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt" - Bertrand Russell, "Christian Ethics" from "Marriage and Morals" (1950), quoted from James A. Haught, ed, 2000 Years of Disbelief. I found the same quote at other sites too, where they were also attributed to Bertrand Russell, so I think it's safe to say it's a quote by Bertrand Russell.
That sounds right, paraphrased and then wrongly attributed. Thank you so much for the quick answer. Another one (real quote along the same lines): The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity. Yeats (Michael Robartes and the Dancer - 1921)
The specific poem to look at in Michael Robartes and the Dancer is 'The Second Coming' -- a great poem.
I'm know I read this in one of his books. Just not sure which one. and about someone saying it's pedestrian and not proper English; Buk hardly ever uses proper english. He's not shakespeare
