Quote
of
the
day
o
love,
its
mea i g
a d
o igi .
The
famous
li e
“fi d
what
you
love
a d
let
it
kill
you”
is
almost
u ive sally
att ibuted
to
Cha les
Bukowski,
though
histo y
tells
a
slightly
mo e
complicated
sto y.
Lite atu e
schola s
a d
esea che s
have
fou d
o
evide ce
that
Bukowski
eve
w ote
o
spoke
those
exact
wo ds
i
his
books,
poems,
o
lette s.
The
ph ase
actually
o igi ated
with
the
Texas
musicia
a d
autho
Ki ky
F iedma
i
the
1980s.
Yet,
despite
bei g
a
misatt ibutio ,
millio s
of
people
attach
the
quote
to
Bukowski.The
ea liest
docume ted
appea a ce
of
the
ph ase
came
f om
a
i te view
i
Ap il
1998,
whe
musicia
Va
Dyke
Pa ks
quoted
his
lo gtime
f ie d:
“It’s
like
my
f ie d
Ki ky
F iedma
said:
‘You’ve
got
to
fi d
what
you
love
a d
let
it
kill
you.
I
do ‘t
thi k
a y
of
us
should
eve
fo get
that.'”
Whe
asked
about
the
o igi
of
the
li e,
F iedma
co fi med
that
it
was
a
pu e
“Ki ky-ism”
of
his
ow
c eatio .
The
mea i g
of
the
quote
At
its
co e,
the
quote
p ese ts
a
bold
idea:
si ce
time
eve tually
wea s
dow
eve y
huma
life,
i dividuals
should
co sciously
choose
the
passio
o
obsessio
that
co sumes
thei
limited
yea s.Huma
existe ce
is
i he e tly
tempo a y.
Eve yo e
gives
away
e e gy,
hou s,
a d
health
to
somethi g
ove
time.
Ma y
people
d ift
th ough
life
allowi g
dull
outi es,
mea i gless
st ess,
o
u wa ted
obligatio s
to
d ai
thei
vitality
without
eceivi g
a ythi g
fulfilli g
i
etu .
This
quote
u ges
a
ejectio
of
that
passive
decay.
I stead
of
letti g
life
wea
you
away
by
accide t,
it
e cou ages
you
to
pou
you
spi it
i to
a
cause,
c aft,
o
passio
that
t uly
matte s
to
you.To
let
somethi g
kill
you,
i
this
figu ative
se se,
does
ot
mea
seeki g
physical
ha m.
It
mea s
su e de i g
comfo t,
safety,
a d
self-doubt
to
se ve
a
si gula
pu pose.
It
desc ibes
a
devotio
so
i te se
that
it
abso bs
you
daily
focus,
shapes
you
choices,
a d
defi es
you
legacy.
Whethe
that
pu suit
is
c eative
wo k,
deep
elatio ships,
scie tific
discove y,
o
a
lifelo g
belief,
the
stateme t
suggests
that
givi g
eve ythi g
to
a
mea i gful
obsessio
gives
di ectio
to
a
othe wise
a dom
existe ce.The
ph ase
also
acts
as
a
wa i g
agai st
safe
i diffe e ce.
Livi g
a
cautious
life
whe e
you
eve
isk
failu e
o
hea tb eak
might
p otect
you
f om
disappoi tme t,
but
it
also
dep ives
you
of
deep
passio .
The
quote
a gues
that
a
life
spe t
bu i g
b ightly
fo
somethi g
you
ge ui ely
ca e
about
is
fa
supe io
to
a
quiet,
p olo ged
life
spe t
i
total
detachme t.Ultimately,
this
idea
challe ges
eve yo e
to
audit
thei
p io ities
a d
ask
a
fu dame tal
questio :
what
is
wo thy
of
you
time
a d
e e gy?
It
pushes
people
to
fi d
a
pu pose
st o g
e ough
to
justify
sac ifice.
Whe
you
devote
you self
e ti ely
to
somethi g
you
love,
you
t a sfo m
the
passage
of
time
f om
a
slow
ma ch
towa d
the
e d
i to
a
delibe ate,
deeply
fulfilli g
jou ey.
Who
was
Ki ky
F iedma ?
Richa d
Samet
“Ki ky”
F iedma
(1944–2024)
was
a
u iquely
Ame ica
figu e:
a
cou t y
si ge ,
sati ist,
myste y
ovelist,
a d
i depe de t
politicia .
K ow
fo
his
t adema k
Stetso
hat,
u lit
ciga ,
de im
jackets,
a d
sha p,
da k
wit,
F iedma
built
a
ca ee
a ou d
efusi g
to
fit
eatly
i to
a y
co ve tio al
box.
