And I have very often felt like a victim of my family and my environment. This happens to a lot of people in my opinion. They perceive some patterns of behavior and thinking, instilled by others, which are not always, even in most cases, incorrect and useful. Many people would say, "It's your own fault. You choose what to believe and how to act." Yes, that's right. But when you're a child or teenager, you don't know it. You believe what your parents or classmates believe, you do as an authority tells you is right. Kind of, when you're little, you still don't know you have a choice. The good thing is that at some point a person grows up and realizes that he is the one who chooses, as I see it happened with the author. The damage caused by wrong thinking can be repaired with self-confidence and perseverance.
1 BlueWildRose answered
It means - when you get in your pants, someone else is to blame for you not seeing / stopping you in time.