Home > Author > Ambeth R. Ocampo
41 " History is written by every generation. Every generation writes its own history using the same sources. The interpretations vary according to time. "
― Ambeth R. Ocampo , Talking History: Conversations with Teodoro A. Agoncillo
42 " They know that Marcos will not give in, so why continue? The only thing that [people have to do] is not pay taxes. Wher will the government get money? Nanghihinayang ako sa life na nawala, because I know Marcos will not give in. "
43 " We always depend on the government to do this and that for us. No government can do that. Always it is with the cooperation of the people. The people must cooperate with the government. The government will think of ways to improve the welfare of the people, but the people will have to help themselves. "
44 " Maganda ang kastila. It is beautiful, lalo pa kung nagmumura. "
45 " That is why I'm not in favor of the UP today which is too big, because the standard goes down. The reason is that the bigger a University becomes, the bigger the problems regarding the faculty. "
46 " It is useless to think of what would have happened. "
47 " A biography should be faithful to the truth. I do not believe that a biography of a man should be all praises, it should be both [praise and criticism] because it is not bad to show the human side of a person. You make him human by painting the defects. "
48 " The attitude of a student in history should be do not accept anything until proven otherwise. Doubt everything including your parentage! Including your parentage! "
49 " History is re-creation while literature is creation. "
50 " Politeness is good only in social relations, because to be polite in literary or academic [matters] would be to be dishonest. Ipinasa mo out of politeness? Our of kwan to the father or...No! "
51 " In the time of writing you have to forget the present, if you can do that. Try to live in the period you are writing. "
52 " Halimbawa ako, you are discussing two sides of a question and your sympathy lies with one. Sabi ko, makikita mo ang bias is towards the other, pero sa akin it's alright. Ang masama ang hindi mo ibigay yung floor to the other side. In other words, instead of saying objectivity, impartiality ang sabihin because impartiality means that you give the other fellow a chance to be heard, hindi yung hindi mo siya pinagbigyan. "
53 " You're not sure that you will have all the documents. That is why the conclusions in history is not final. "
54 " You should see my personality on every page of my book, because I am the author. The book reflects the personality of the author. Do you expect my work to reflect the personality of another? "
55 " Everyone is a historian. Everyone is his own historian. "
56 " Who is this historian who can say that he's telling the whole truth and nothing but the whole truth. Nobody, because you're human. "
57 " A good historian always provides for an exit in case of fire. "Probably," "allegedly," "it is possible... "
58 " There are two kinds of faculty members in the UP. Those who are honored to be in the UP and those who honor the UP. I belong to the last. "
59 " Nothing is lost to you by being polite. You can be polite and courteous without losing anything. "
60 " The people who criticize me are ignorant of what history is, because the very fact that the student of history chooses what to include and what not to include in his work, is proof that history is never objective. "