F. Sionil Jose Quotes

In retrospect, I had a lot of shortcomings and didn't take care of the things that needed to be taken care of, and that's all my fault.

I know I've done good things, I know I've done bad things.

I was not really as good as I should have been.

The superior man blames himself. The inferior man blames others.

I know that in my public life I fell below the standards that I had set myself... I have seen what is wrong but not done enough to put it right. I have been more critical than correct.

You never want to look back on life and say, 'I did nothing.' Because then you'll live the rest of your life upset at yourself and at everyone else around you.

Every man writes his manner. I just made poor decisions.

I have not been the witness I wanted to be.

I wish I had a nickel for every time I fell and blamed someone else. I'd give a ton of money to the ones I've hurt.

It is a most mortifying reflection for a man to consider what he has done, compared to what he might have done.

Every one goes astray, but the least imprudent are they who repent the soonest.

I behaved worse than anybody for 15 years, and you have to pay the price for that. I used to blame other people, then therapy made me realise I had to change.

I try to be a good person. I know what my downfalls are, so that's a good thing.

I lost my moral compass and I have done terrible things that I very much regret.

To accuse others for one's own misfortunes is a sign of want of education. To accuse oneself shows that one's education has begun. To accuse neither oneself nor others shows that one's education is complete.

I just have to be myself. I'm not perfect, and I'm going to make mistakes; I might say the wrong thing. I have to be responsible to my community, and I feel like I am, but then I have to not be so hard on myself.

Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming.

The selfish thing about an athlete is you always look at the side of things where you say I could've done that better.

One of my favorite little sayings is, 'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.'

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.

A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.

You know, I'd like to sit here and blame everybody else for my trouble. I just can't do that. I can't find it in myself to do it.

How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them.

People who really try to be conscious of what they have done, who take responsibility, to me these kinds of people are heroes.

Looking back, I am ashamed that I have not always upheld the values that I profess and believe in.