--- title: "7 Must Quotes By F. Sionil José" description: "7 Must quotes by F. Sionil José. Plus more from F. Sionil José and more Must sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41b/f-sionil-jos-2399_aging_for-them-who-delay-aging-who-infuse-decr_657441.png" --- > [For them who delay aging, who infuse decrepit bodies with youth and beauty - they must rejoice in the fullness of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/for-them-who-delay-aging-who-infuse-decrepit-bodies-with-youth-and/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41b/f-sionil-jos-2399_aging_for-them-who-delay-aging-who-infuse-decr_657441.png) > [We must know our own roles. We should also know the roles that others play, and the rules such roles follow. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/we-must-know-our-own-roles-we-should-also-know-the-roles-that-others/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/f-sionil-jos-2399_act_we-must-know-our-own-roles-we-should-als_1196997.png) > [As artists, we must not go down to the level of the masa; we should bring them up, intellectualize our languages, create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/as-artists-we-must-not-go-down-to-the-level-of-the-masa-we-should/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/f-sionil-jos-2399_art_as-artists-we-must-not-go-down-to-the-le_2339405.jpg) > [The heart of the theater is the play itself, how it dramatizes life to make it meaningful entertainment. To achieve depth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/the-heart-of-the-theater-is-the-play-itself-how-it-dramatizes-life-to/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/f-sionil-jos-2399_achieve_the-heart-of-the-theater-is-the-play-its_2368122.png) > [We are shallow because we have become enslaved by gross materialism, the glitter of gold and its equivalents, for which reason we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/we-are-shallow-because-we-have-become-enslaved-by-gross-materialism/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/187/f-sionil-jos-2399_able_we-are-shallow-because-we-have-become-en_2475016.jpg) > [To fund major cultural efforts, we must not rely alone on government and foundation patronage; if the farmer can spend for beer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/to-fund-major-cultural-efforts-we-must-not-rely-alone-on-government/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/888/f-sionil-jos-2399_alone_to-fund-major-cultural-efforts-we-must-n_3154881.png) > [Writing is a solitary profession; you are really alone when you write. Then the emotions become well shaped and distinct. But their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/writing-is-a-solitary-profession-you-are-really-alone-when-you-write/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0b/f-sionil-jos-2399_alone_writing-is-a-solitary-profession-you-are_3216341.png) ## Other authors on Must ## More by F. Sionil José > [“There is nothing like the land you belong to claiming you back. But everywhere the earth is the same. -Old David”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/there-is-nothing-like-the-land-you-belong-to-claiming-you-back-but/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [“Indeed time has that ultimate capacity to render the passions of the past when recalled in the present as no more than grandiloquent gestures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/indeed-time-has-that-ultimate-capacity-to-render-the-passions-of-the/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Class - or the economic status of individuals - is evident in all societies, some very well stratified by a rigid caste system determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/class-or-the-economic-status-of-individuals-is-evident-in-all/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [We write from life and call it literature, and literature lives because we are in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/we-write-from-life-and-call-it-literature-and-literature-lives/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [I can imagine the writers of China, England and France, crippled and unsure of themselves when they feel that the ghosts of Confucius, Mencius,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/i-can-imagine-the-writers-of-china-england-and-france-crippled-and/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Always remember: the alleviation of poverty is never a political or economic issue - it is moral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/always-remember-the-alleviation-of-poverty-is-never-a-political-or/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [In the end, religion teaches us to value truth, justice and freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/in-the-end-religion-teaches-us-to-value-truth-justice-and-freedom/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [My reading of philosophy and history is desultory; I know so much and yet so little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/my-reading-of-philosophy-and-history-is-desultory-i-know-so-much-and/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Life is always sad. That's what makes suicide so tempting because life is all that we really have and haven't. Death makes us equals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/life-is-always-sad-that-s-what-makes-suicide-so-tempting-because-life/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [We recognize the distinctness of Asian art when we turn to its traditional forms, recognize it as Japanese, Chinese and Indian, even Balinese or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/we-recognize-the-distinctness-of-asian-art-when-we-turn-to-its/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [“There is nothing in the world which an artist cannot recreate into something poetic, ennobling. And why do we read these things? They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/there-is-nothing-in-the-world-which-an-artist-cannot-recreate-into/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [All through history, a nation or a civilization's enduring glory is articulated by its mega constructions - the pyramids, the lofty cathedrals of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/all-through-history-a-nation-or-a-civilization-s-enduring-glory-is/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Colonialism subdues in many dulcet guises. It conquered under the pretext of spreading Christianity, civilization, law and order, to make the world safe for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/colonialism-subdues-in-many-dulcet-guises-it-conquered-under-the/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [November is auspicious in so many parts of the country: the rice harvest is already in, the weather starts to cool, and the festive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/november-is-auspicious-in-so-many-parts-of-the-country-the-rice/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [“No stranger can come battering down my door and say he brings me light. This I have within me. -Istak”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/no-stranger-can-come-battering-down-my-door-and-say-he-brings-me/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/must/f-sionil-jos/#itemlist", "name": "7 Must Quotes By F. 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