--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have no illusions that my work can…" description: "\"I have no illusions that my work can rouse the masses to create change, because literature simply doesn't have that power anymore in my country, if it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/miguel-syjuco-8046_anymore_i-have-no-illusions-that-my-work-can-rou_1292874.jpg" --- # I have no illusions that my work can rouse the masses to… ![“I have no illusions that my work can rouse the masses to create change, because literature simply doesn't have that power anymore in my country, if it does anywhere. But I do hope that it can be read by those who are in positions to create change, or that it can at least be part of that dialogue.” quote by Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/miguel-syjuco-8046_anymore_i-have-no-illusions-that-my-work-can-rou_1292874.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/miguel-syjuco-8046_anymore_i-have-no-illusions-that-my-work-can-rou_1292874.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/miguel-syjuco-8046_anymore_i-have-no-illusions-that-my-work-can-rou_1292874.jpg) > “I have no illusions that my work can rouse the masses to create change, because literature simply doesn't have that power anymore in my country, if it does anywhere. But I do hope that it can be read by those who are in positions to create change, or that it can at least be part of that dialogue.” [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literature may no longer mobilize masses, but can still influence decision‑makers and dialogue. **In simple terms:** Books can shape leaders, not crowds. Key Takeaway Write for those who can enact change. Themes literature influence politics dialogue Mood thoughtful determined Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - authoring essays - policy advocacy - academic forums - private reading circles Key Concepts censorship power of ideas elite communication Questions to Reflect On - Who holds the power to read and act on ideas? - Can elite engagement spark wider reform? A Different Perspective Impact is limited without broad public access. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Illusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusions/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Masses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masses/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Don't create for the masses. Create for the people who are your kind of weird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/don-t-create-for-the-masses-create-for-the-people-who-are-your-kind/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [ \[T\]he effects of general change \[in literature\] are most tellingly recorded not in alteration of the best products, but in the transformation of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/t-he-effects-of-general-change-in-literature-are-most-tellingly/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [It's partly the fault of the institutions of education. But it's partly the decision to be relieved of responsibility. Literature is simply the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/it-s-partly-the-fault-of-the-institutions-of-education-but-it-s/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [A great piece of literature does not try to coerce you to believe it or agree with it. A great piece of literature simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/a-great-piece-of-literature-does-not-try-to-coerce-you-to-believe-it/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Literature simply becomes richer after you've been fired, rejected, stranded, or had to change a few midnight diapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-bauman/literature-simply-becomes-richer-after-you-ve-been-fired-rejected/) [Christian Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-bauman/) > [Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/great-literature-is-simply-language-charged-with-meaning-to-the/) [Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/) > [The only way to create change in anyone's psychology or belief system is to show them the consequences of their actions - or inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/the-only-way-to-create-change-in-anyone-s-psychology-or-belief-system/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Trying to cause chaos - I think that's the way I create change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-jane-grace/trying-to-cause-chaos-i-think-that-s-the-way-i-create-change/) [Laura Jane Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-jane-grace/) > [As an athlete, I have a platform to promote and create change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-plum/as-an-athlete-i-have-a-platform-to-promote-and-create-change/) [Kelsey Plum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-plum/) > [What counts most is how you put your expectations into action. Only pursue what is important to create the change that you desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/what-counts-most-is-how-you-put-your-expectations-into-action-only/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [“When you accept things as they are, you allow yourself to make choices, that will help create the change you seek.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/when-you-accept-things-as-they-are-you-allow-yourself-to-make-choices/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [I want to be the one to make a change, like when my father started his music. It's about the message. Coffee is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohan-marley/i-want-to-be-the-one-to-make-a-change-like-when-my-father-started-his/) [Rohan Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohan-marley/) > [“People have to be less internally focused and show more of a desire to help others in order to create change for the better,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/people-have-to-be-less-internally-focused-and-show-more-of-a-desire/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [Create Change...Before change creates you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-shope/create-change-before-change-creates-you/) Austin Shope > [For those of us working in fashion, it is very easy to add your name to a committee list, walk a red carpet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-hearst/for-those-of-us-working-in-fashion-it-is-very-easy-to-add-your-name/) [Lydia Hearst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-hearst/) ## More by Miguel Syjuco > [“Here, need blurs the line between good and bad, and a constant promise of random violence sticks like humidity down your back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/here-need-blurs-the-line-between-good-and-bad-and-a-constant-promise/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [“He fidgets. Thinks. Observes his fellow passengers. Judges everyone, in the traditional Filipino sport of justifying both personal and shared insecurities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/he-fidgets-thinks-observes-his-fellow-passengers-judges-everyone-in/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [When I was young, I spent my days and nights trying to impress future generations. I spent them. They're gone. All because I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/when-i-was-young-i-spent-my-days-and-nights-trying-to-impress-future/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [You can’t bring an unwritten place to life without losing something substantial. Manila is the cradle, the graveyard, the memory. The Mecca, the Cathedral,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/you-can-t-bring-an-unwritten-place-to-life-without-losing-something/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [“Let me welcome you to my first country, my Third World.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/let-me-welcome-you-to-my-first-country-my-third-world/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [“A man's life is all he has. When you're old, it's all you'll ever have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/a-man-s-life-is-all-he-has-when-you-re-old-it-s-all-you-ll-ever-have/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [“The little things, you know, eventually become everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/the-little-things-you-know-eventually-become-everything/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [“A father must take credit for his child, but never a child for his father.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/a-father-must-take-credit-for-his-child-but-never-a-child-for-his/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [I surprise myself that I'm not dead in the gutter somewhere, surprised that I haven't given up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/i-surprise-myself-that-i-m-not-dead-in-the-gutter-somewhere-surprised/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [“We liked to believe there is an alternate world, a better world, populated entirely by characters created by the yearnings of humanity--governing and inspiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/we-liked-to-believe-there-is-an-alternate-world-a-better-world/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [I have to believe that literature can effect change; otherwise, I would have no purpose in my life and would have wasted four years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/i-have-to-believe-that-literature-can-effect-change-otherwise-i-would/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [I don't see myself as any different from all the other Filipinos who have gone abroad looking for opportunity, to be a nurse, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/i-don-t-see-myself-as-any-different-from-all-the-other-filipinos-who/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [Clichés remind and reassure us that we're not alone, that others have trod this ground long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/clich-s-remind-and-reassure-us-that-we-re-not-alone-that-others-have/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [We referenced fictional characters as if they were people to learn from. As if real-life people were too nebulous, too private and unreal for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/we-referenced-fictional-characters-as-if-they-were-people-to-learn/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [“There are only three truths. That which can be known. That which can never be known. The third, which concerns the writer alone, truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/there-are-only-three-truths-that-which-can-be-known-that-which-can/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) [Explore all 85 Miguel Syjuco quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) ## More Anymore quotes > [What I do miss that I don't get anymore? You're going to think I'm crazy, but you want the truth, so here it is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mandrell/what-i-do-miss-that-i-don-t-get-anymore-you-re-going-to-think-i-m/) [Barbara Mandrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mandrell/) > [When you can't dunk anymore, you have to find a way to make it into the news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-ginobili/when-you-can-t-dunk-anymore-you-have-to-find-a-way-to-make-it-into/) [Manu Ginobili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-ginobili/) > [My life had been defined by the apartheid years. Now we were going into an era of democracy... and I believed that I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athol-fugard/my-life-had-been-defined-by-the-apartheid-years-now-we-were-going/) [Athol Fugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athol-fugard/) > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [“I don’t know who she is anymore, or who she was, but I need to find her”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-don-t-know-who-she-is-anymore-or-who-she-was-but-i-need-to-find-her/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I'm not in the movie business anymore, and hardly any 70 year olds are. I always ask the producers: 'Are there no 70-year old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-dennehy/i-m-not-in-the-movie-business-anymore-and-hardly-any-70-year-olds-are/) [Brian Dennehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-dennehy/) > [“I don't have much anymore, but I'll give you everything I got.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendall-grey/i-don-t-have-much-anymore-but-i-ll-give-you-everything-i-got/) [Kendall Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendall-grey/) > [I don't really write songs anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-vernon/i-don-t-really-write-songs-anymore/) [Justin Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-vernon/) > [I don't need to prove anything in that ring anymore. I've done all that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diamond-dallas-page/i-don-t-need-to-prove-anything-in-that-ring-anymore-i-ve-done-all-that/) [Diamond Dallas Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diamond-dallas-page/) > [Time starts out as a notion. But after you turn fifty, time is not a notion anymore but a fact that you start feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/time-starts-out-as-a-notion-but-after-you-turn-fifty-time-is-not-a/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [Some days, I think maybe we should try and be a little more conventional, but every time I try, I fail, so I'm learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seinabo-sey/some-days-i-think-maybe-we-should-try-and-be-a-little-more/) [Seinabo Sey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seinabo-sey/) > [Every year, you have to keep adjusting. I'm 28; I'm not 19 anymore. You have to work harder now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-hernandez/every-year-you-have-to-keep-adjusting-i-m-28-i-m-not-19-anymore-you/) [Felix Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-hernandez/) > [“Let go of those thoughts that do not serve you anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/let-go-of-those-thoughts-that-do-not-serve-you-anymore/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Always fight until you can't anymore, and then be fought for...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerose/always-fight-until-you-can-t-anymore-and-then-be-fought-for/) [Jerose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerose/) > [It's just madness. First email. Then instant message. Then MySpace. Then Facebook. Then LinkedIn. Then Twitter. It's not enough anymore to 'Just do it.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/it-s-just-madness-first-email-then-instant-message-then-myspace-then/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) Browse all 1,192 Anymore quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have no illusions that my work can rouse the masses to create change, because literature simply doesn't have that power anymore in my country, if it does anywhere. But I do hope that it can be read by those who are in positions to create change, or that it can at least be part of that dialogue.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Miguel Syjuco" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/i-have-no-illusions-that-my-work-can-rouse-the-masses-to-create/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anymore" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/i-have-no-illusions-that-my-work-can-rouse-the-masses-to-create/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/miguel-syjuco-8046_anymore_i-have-no-illusions-that-my-work-can-rou_1292874.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/miguel-syjuco-8046_anymore_i-have-no-illusions-that-my-work-can-rou_1292874.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/miguel-syjuco-8046_anymore_i-have-no-illusions-that-my-work-can-rou_1292874.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have no illusions that my work can rouse the masses to create change, because literature simply doesn't…” — Miguel Syjuco", "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": "Miguel Syjuco", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have no illusions that my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/i-have-no-illusions-that-my-work-can-rouse-the-masses-to-create/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/i-have-no-illusions-that-my-work-can-rouse-the-masses-to-create/#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 } } ] } ```