José Rizal

José Rizal (1861–1896) was a Filipino nationalist, novelist, and ophthalmologist whose novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo exposed abuses under Spanish colonial rule. His execution in 1896 made him a martyr and a catalyst for the Philippine independence movement.

Quotes by José Rizal

Quotes: 1

He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination. — José Rizal

Looking Back to Chart the Way Forward

Ultimately, memory must be a guide, not a cage. Rizal’s wisdom cautions against amnesia, but it also implies movement; the point of checking the wake is to sail better. As William Faulkner put it, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past” (Requiem for a Nun, 1951). The art is to convert that ever-present past into insight—distilling lessons, releasing resentments, and carrying forward only what helps. In doing so, we look back just enough to arrive where we truly intend. [...]

Created on: 10/30/2025