Conscience Quote by William Holden
“I feel lousy about the pain that I've caused my wife and kids. I feel guilty and conscience-stricken, and all of those things you think sentimental, but which my generation calls simple human decency. And I miss my home, because I'm beginning to get scared shitless, because all of a sudden it's closer to the end than the beginning, and death is suddenly a perceptible thing to me, with definable features.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Unknown source, 2020
The speaker feels deep guilt for hurting family, fears aging and death, and longs for home.
In simple terms: Guilt, fear, longing for home
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge remorse and seek forgiveness
Themes
guilt
fear
family
mortality
home
Mood
regretful
anxious
Type
personal
emotional
When to use this quote
- family counseling
- personal therapy
- end‑of‑life planning
- reconnecting with loved ones
Key Concepts
self‑reflection
mortality awareness
family dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- What steps can you take to repair relationships?
- How does confronting mortality change your priorities?
A Different Perspective
Guilt may not fully resolve without concrete reparations
![“[D]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without a conscience a man may never be said to grow old. This is an age of very old young men.” quote by Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/076/hesketh-pearson-35291_age_d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-w_14010.jpg)