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How Do You Fight Someone Smarter Than Yourself?' Rand Whispered. 'the Answer Is Simple. You Make Her Think That You Are Sitting Down Across The Table From Her, Ready To Play Her Game. Then You Punch Her In The Face As Hard As You Can.

-Brandon Sanderson

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How Do You Fight

Brandon Sanderson

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How Do You Fight Someone Smarter Than Yourself?' Rand Whispered. 'the Answer Is Simple. You Make Her Think That You Are Sitting Down Across The Table From Her, Ready To Play Her Game. Then You Punch Her In The Face As Hard As You Can.

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If I Should Die,” Dalinar Said, “then I Would Do So Having Lived My Life Right. It Is Not The Destination That Matters, But How One Arrives There.” “the Codes?” “no. The Way Of Kings.” “that Storming Book.

So, There I Was, Tied To An Altar Made From Outdated Encyclopedias, About To Get Sacrificed To The Dark Powers By A Cult Of Evil Librarians.

It's Not Imitating Anything; It Has Become A Better Version Of Itself.

It Is A Writer's Greatest Pleasure To Hear That Someone Was Kept Up Until The Unholy Hours Of The Morning Reading One Of Their Books

We Follow The Codes Not Because They Bring Gain, But Because We Loathe The People We Would Otherwise Become.

I've Seen Steelheart Bleed

Though, If You Think About It, Hostile, Dethroned Pseudodeities Probably Make Disagreeable Neighbors. You'll Have To Figure Out Something To Do With Him.

I Have A Smoke Grenade In My Room," I Said. "what?" Megan Asked. "how?" "i Grew Up Working At A Munitions Plant," I Said. "we Mostly Made Rifles And Handguns, But We Worked With Other Factories. I Got To Pick Up The Occasional Goody From The Qc Reject Pile." "a Smoke Grenade Is A Goody?" Cody Asked. I Frowned. What Did He Mean? Of Course It Was. Who Wouldn't Want A Smoke Grenade When Offered One?

Every Man Is A Hero Of His Own Story.

This World, It Is A Tempest Sometimes. But Remember, The Sun Always Rises Again.

I Bring You A Message From A Friend Of Ours," She Said Quietly. "he Wanted You To Know That He's Not Dead. He Can't Be Killed." "he Is Hope." The She Raised The Spear And Rammed It Directly Into The Lord Ruler's Heart.

Joel, Lad, School Is About Learning To Learn. If You Don't Practice Studying Things You Don't Like, Then You'll Have A Very Hard Time In Life.

Raoden Turned To Regard The Large Dula. "what Does It Matter? It's Not Like We Have Anything Pressing To Do. It's Actually Quite Pleasant Up Here—you Should Just Sit Back And Enjoy It." An Ominous Crash Came From The Clouds Above Them, And Raoden Felt A Wet Drop Splat Against His Head. "fantastic," Galladon Grumbled. "i'm Enjoying Myself Already.

The Motivations Of Men. They Never Make Sense. And They Always Make Sense.

How Did Men Believe In Something That Preached Love On One Hand, Yet Taught Destruction Of Unbelievers On The Other? How Did One Rationalize Belief With No Proof? How Could They Honestly Expect Him To Have Faith In Something That Taught Of Miracles And Wonders In The Far Past, But Carefully Gave Excuses For Why Such Things Didn't Occur In The Present Day?

Sometimes, Son," My Father Said, Prying My Fingers Free, "you Have To Help The Heroes Along.

The Sudden And Abrupt Removal Of My All-consuming Goal ... Well, It Was Like I Was A Donut, And Somebody Had Sucked All The Jelly Out Of Me. But I Could Stuff New Jelly In There. It Would Just Get My Hands A Little Sticky In The Process.

You Should Try Not To Talk So Much, Friend. You'll Sound Far Less Stupid That Way. - Breeze

If You're Always On Time, It Implies That You Never Have Anything Better You Should Be Doing. -kelsier

[omin] ...all Things Must Progress, And Progression Is Not Always A Steady Incline. Sometimes We Must Fall, Sometimes We Will Rise - Some Must Be Hurt While Others Have Fortune, For That Is The Only Way We Can Learn To Rely On One Another. As One Is Blessed, It Is His Privilege To Help Those Whose Lives Are Not As Easy. Unity Comes From Strife, Child." Page 193

A Thing Of Nature. For Every Push, There Is A Pull. A Consequence.

I Don't Have Much Time For Stories," Vin Said. "seems That Fewer And Fewer People Do, These Days." A Canopy Kept Off The Ash, But He Seemed Unconcerned About The Mists. "it Makes Me Wonder What Is So Alluring About The Real World That Gives Them All Such A Fetish For It. It's Not A Very Nice Place These Days.

The Look Of Disbelief That Ran Across The Boy's Face Was Somehow More Disturbing Than The Despair It Had Replaced. This Creature Had Given Up Hope Long Ago; He Probably Begged Out Of Habit Rather Than Expectation.

Kelsier Smiled. 'it Means That You, Vin, Are A Very Special Person. You Have A Power That Most High Noblemen Envy. It Is A Power That, Had You Been Born An Aristocrat, Would Have Made You One Of The Most Deadly And Influential People In All Of The Final Empire.' Kelsier Leaned Forward Again. 'but, You Weren't Born An Aristocrat. You're Not Noble, Vin. You Don't Have To Play By Their Rules--and That Makes You Even More Powerful.

Her Aunt Sol Had Once Told Shai To Smile At The Worst Insults And Snap At The Minor Ones. That Way, No Man Would Know Your Heart.

It's Actually A Rather Romantic And Dramatic Story --- One I Would Eagerly Tell You, Except For The Fact That I Recently Forgot It, Based On It Being Far Too Long And Having Not Enough Decapitations.

A Person Knows When They’re In Darkness, Even When They Can’t See. -nightblood

Though Most Expect Young Men To Be Fools, I've Noticed That Just A Little Bit Of Age Can Make A Man Far More Foolish Than He Was As A Child.

That's The Point, Isn't It? We Have To Live On, No Matter How Hard It Gets. We'll Win In The End.

Men Had Always Told Kaladin That He Fought Like Nobody Else. He’d Felt It On The First Day He’d Picked Up A Quarterstaff, Though Tukks’s Advice Had Helped Him Refine And Channel What He Could Do. Kaladin Had Cared When He Fought. He’d Never Fought Empty Or Cold. He Fought To Keep His Men Alive

Mocking A Woman Is Like Drinking Too Much Wine. It May Be Fun For A Short Time, But The Hangover Is Hell.

If Men Should Read These Words, Let Them Know That Power Is A Heavy Burden. Seek Not To Be Bound By Its Chains.

The Best Liars Are Those Who Tell The Truth Most Of The Time.

Telling The Truth

I Take Two Hours Off For My Family Every Day. And Then I Write Fourteen Hours.

However A Man Who Was Honest And Clever Was Always, Always More Difficult To Scam Than Someone Who Was Both Dishonest And Clever. Sincerity. It Was So Difficult , By Definition, To Fake.

At Times, It Seems To Me That To Be Human Is To Want That Which We Cannot Have. For Some, This Is Power. For Me, It Is Peace.

Our Belief Is Often Strongest When It Should Be Weakest. That Is The Nature Of Hope.

Every Action We Take Has Consequences, Vin," Kelsier Said. "i've Found That In Both Allomancy And Life, The Person Who Can Best Judge The Consequences Of Their Actions Will Be The Most Successful.

Fantasy Has Had Some Problems With Being Too Repetitive, In My Opinion. I Try To Read What Other People Are Doing - And Say, 'how Can I Add To This Rather Than Just Recycle It? How Can I Stand On Tolkien's Shoulders Rather Than Stand Tied To His Kneecaps?

Welcome, Ruin Said, To Godhood.

Wayne: You Wanna Know Why I Really Came To Find You? Waxilliam: Why? Wayne: I Thought Of You Happy In A Comfy Bed, Resting And Relaxing, Spending The Rest Of Your Life Sipping Tea And Reading Papers While People Bring You Food And Maids Rub Your Toes And Stuff. Waxilliam: And? Wayne: And I Just Couldn't Leave You To A Fate Like That...i'm Too Good A Friend To Let A Mate Of Mine Die In Such A Terrible Situation. Waxilliam: Comfortable? Wayne: No. Boring.

People Can Do Great Things. However, There Are Some Things They Just Can't Do. I, For Instance, Have Not Been Able To Transform Myself Into A Popsicle, Despite Years Of Effort.

It's A Mystery," Vin Said, Narrowing Her Eyes And Smiling. "we Mistborn Are Incredibly Mysterious." Elend Paused." Um...i'm Mistborn Too, Vin. That Doesn't Make Any Sense." "we Mistborn Need Not Make Sense," Vin Said." It's Beneath Us. Come On-the Sun's Already Down. We Need To Get Moving.

Belief Isn't Simply A Thing For Fair Times And Bright Days...what Is Belief - What Is Faith - If You Don't Continue In It After Failure?...anyone Can Believe In Someone, Or Something That Always Succeeds...but Failure...ah, Now, That Is Hard To Believe In, Certainly And Truly. Difficult Enough To Have Value. Sometimes We Just Have To Wait Long Enough...then We Find Out Why Exactly It Was That We Kept Believing...there's Always Another Secret.

Getting Cut Off From The Knights' Magic Rock Also Required A Period Of Exile From Their Giant Glass Mushroom. (those Of You In The Hushlands, I Dare You To Work That Last Sentence Into A Conversation. "by The Way, Sally, Did You Know That Getting Cut From The Knight's Magic Rock Also Requires A Period Of Exile From Their Giant Glass Mushroom?")

Oh, Wax Has Always Been Solemn, But When He's At His Best, There's A Smirk Underneath.

I Was Thinking That Work Is Like Fertilizer In That I'm Glad It Exists; I Just Don't Ever Want To Get Stuck In It.

You Said Their Prayer - Is This The Religion You Believe In, Then?" "i Believe In Them All." Vin Frowned. "none Of Them Contradict Each Other?" Sazed Smiled. "oh, Often And Frequently They Do. But, I Respect The Truths Behind Them All.

I'm An Amalgamation Of What I've Needed To Be. Part Scholar, Part Rebel, Part Nobleman, Part Mistborn, And Part Soldier. Sometimes I Don't Even Know Myself. I Had A Devil Of A Time Getting All Those Pieces To Work Together. And, Just When I'm Starting To Get It Figured Out, The World Up And Ends On Me.

Being In Charge Isn't Always About Telling People What To Do. Sometimes, It's About Knowing When To Step Out Of The Way Of People Who Know What They're Doing. - Tam Al'thor

...a Man Can Only Stumble For So Long Before He Either Falls Or Stands Up Straight.

Sing!" Grandpa Smedry Yelled, His Voice Echoing Down A Hallway To The Right."sing!" If He Breaks Into Song I Think I Might Have To Strangle Myself... I Thought, Cringing.

When Men Fought, They Connected. You Became Brothers As You Traded Blows.

My Name Is Stephen Leeds, And I Am Perfectly Sane. My Hallucinations, However, Are All Quite Mad.

Wayne's A Little Attached To That Hat," Waxillium Said. "he Thinks It's Lucky." Wayne: "it Is Lucky. I Ain't Never Died While Wearing That Hat." Marasi Frowned. "i ... I'm Not Sure I Know How To Respond." Wax: "that's A Common Reaction To Wayne.

Ruin Still Used Reen's Voice-it Was Familiar, Something That Had Always Seemed A Part Of Her. Discovering That It Belonged To That Thing...it Was Like Finding Out That Her Reflection Really Belonged To Someone Else, And That She'd Never Actually Seen Herself.

At First Glance, The Key And The Lock It Fits May Seem Very Different," Sazed Said. "different In Shape, Different In Function, Different In Design. The Man Who Looks At Them Without Knowledge Of Their True Nature Might Think Them Opposites, For One Is Meant To Open, And The Other To Keep Closed. Yet, Upon Closer Examination He Might See That Without One, The Other Becomes Useless. The Wise Man Then Sees That Both Lock And Key Were Created For The Same Purpose.

When I Write My Books, Actually I'm Known For Very Logical Rule-based Magic Systems. I Write With One Foot In Fantasy And One Foot In Science Fiction.

By Now, It Is Probably Very Late At Night, And You Have Stayed Up To Read This Book When You Should Have Gone To Sleep. If This Is The Case, Then I Commend You For Falling Into My Trap. It Is A Writer's Greatest Pleasure To Hear That Someone Was Kept Up Until The Unholy Hours Of The Morning Reading One Of His Books. It Goes Back To Authors Being Terrible People Who Delight In The Suffering Of Others. Plus, We Get A Kickback From The Caffeine Industry.

A Man Can Only Lead When Others Accept Him As Their Leader, And He Has Only As Much Authority As His Subjects Give To Him. All Of The Brilliant Ideas In The World Cannot Save Your Kingdom If No One Will Listen To Them.

Marsh: Our Best Efforts Were Never Even A Mild Annoyance To The Lord Ruler." Kelsier: Ah, But Being An Annoyance Is Something That I Am Very Good At. In Fact, I'm Far More Than Just A 'mild' Annoyance--people Tell Me I Can Be Downright Frustrating. Might As Well Use This Talent For The Cause Of Good, Eh?

Eternity Ended Ten Years Ago.

Your Insult Has Offended Me. If We Were At The Peaks, We Would Have To Duel In Traditional Alil'tiki'i Fashion." "which Is What?" Teft Asked. "with Spears?" Rock Laughed. "no, No. We Upon The Peaks Are Not Barbarians Like You Down Here." "how Then?" Kaladin Asked, Genuinely Curious. "well," Rock Said, "is Involving Much Mudbeer And Singing." “how's That A Duel?” "he Who Can Still Sing After The Most Drinks Is Winner. Plus, Soon' Everyone Is So Drunk That They Forget What Argument Was About." Teft Laughed. "beats Knives At Dawn, I Suppose.

Well Vin Says That There's Something Behind All This, Right? Some Evil Force Of Doom Or Whatever? Well, If I Were Said Force Of Doom, Then I Certainly Wouldn't Have Used My Powers To Turn The Land Black. It Just Lacks Flair. Red. Now, That Would Be An Interesting Color. Think Of The Possibilities--if The Ash Were Red, The Rivers Would Run Like Blood. Black Is So Monotonous That You Can Forget About It, But Red--you'd Always Be Thinking, 'why, Look At That. That Hill Is Red. That Evil Force Of Doom Trying To Destroy Me Certainly Has Style.

The Problem With Being Clever, Serene Thought With A Sigh, Is That Everyone Assumes You're Always Planning Something.

It Is Very Important To Be Reading As Well As Writing. A Doctor Is Not Going To Ignore New Surgery Practices.

Must Someone, Some Unseen Thing, Declare What Is Right For It To Be Right? I Believe That My Own Morality - Which Answers Only To My Heart - Is More Sure And True Than The Morality Of Those Who Do Right Only Because They Fear Retribution.

And So, Does The Destination Matter? Or Is It The Path We Take? I Declare That No Accomplishment Has Substance Nearly As Great As The Road Used To Achieve It. We Are Not Creatures Of Destinations. It Is The Journey That Shapes Us. Our Callused Feet, Our Backs Strong From Carrying The Weight Of Our Travels, Our Eyes Open With The Fresh Delight Of Experiences Lived.

If You Are Anything Like Me --- Clever, Fond Of Goat Cheese, And Devilishly Handsome --- Then You Have Undoubtedly Read Many Books.

And Vin Liked Solitude. When You're Alone, No One Can Betray You

You Could Be Writing The Book That Changes Your Life.

Changing Your Life

People Can Do Great Things. However, There Are Somethings They Just Can't Do. I, For Instance, Have Not Been Able To Transform Myself Into A Popsicle, Despite Years Of Effort. I Could, However, Make Myself Insane, If I Wished. (though If I Achieved The Second, I Might Be Able To Make Myself Think I'd Achieved The First....) Anyway, If There's A Lesson To Be Learned, It's This: Great Success Often Depends On Being Able To Distinguish Between The Impossible And The Improbable. Or, In Easier Terms, Distinguishing Between Popsicles And Insanity. Any Questions?

Lessons To Be Learned

To Age Truly Was To Suffer The Ultimate Treason, That Of One's Body Against Oneself.

If You Give Up What You Want Most For What You Think You Should Want More, You'll End Up Miserable.

You're Wonderful. So Full Of Life And Excitement. The Priests And Servants Of The Palace, They Wear Colors, But There's No Color Inside Of Them. They Just Go About Their Duties, Eyes Down, Solemn. You've Got Color On The Inside, So Much Of It That It Bursts Out And Colors Everything Around You.

Of All The Recruits In His Cohort, He Had Learned The Quickest. How To Hold The Spear, How To Stand To Spar. He’d Done It Almost Without Instruction. That Had Shocked Tukks. But Why Should It Have? You Were Not Shocked When A Child Knew How To Breathe. You Were Not Shocked When A Skyeel Took Flight For The First Time. You Should Not Be Shocked When You Hand Kaladin Stormblessed A Spear And He Knows How To Use It.

‎"to Parlin's Mind, Nothing Showed Affection Like A Hunk Of Something Dead And Bleeding On The Table.

Here, In Alethkar, Men Often Spoke Of The Legends -- Of Mankind's Hard-won Victory Over The Voidbringers. But When Weapons Created To Fight Nightmares Were Turned Against Common Soldiers, The Lives Of Men Became Cheap Things Indeed.

Galladon Paused For A Moment, Then Laughed. "does Nothing Frighten You, Sule?" "actually, Pretty Much Everything Here Does—i'm Just Good At Ignoring The Fact That I'm Terrified. If I Ever Realize How Scared I Am, You'll Probably Find Me Trying To Hide Under Those Cobblestones Over There.

What Kind Of Woman Is Still Able To Trust People After Everything She's Been Through? If She'd Been Vin, She Would Have Stabbed Him In The Back At The First Opportunity, And That Would Have Probably Been The Right Thing To Do. Yet, This Girl Just Continued To Trust. It Was Like Finding A Beautiful Plant Growing Alone In A Field Of Burnt Ash.

A Story Doesn't Live Until It Is Imagined In Someone's Mind.

The Nature Of Morality Must Be Considered, And Preferably Before One Is Exposed To Situations Where A Moral Decision Is Required.

And Is An Ending Always Bad? It Asked. Must Not All Things, Even Worlds, Someday End?"there Is No Need To Hasten That End," Vin Said. "no Reason To Force It."all Things Are Subject To Their Own Nature, Vin, Ruin Said, Seeming To Flow Around Her. She Could Feel Its Touch Upon Her - Wet And Delicate, Like Mist. You Cannot Blame Me For Being What I Am. Without Me, Nothing Would End. Nothing Could End. And Therefore, Nothing Could Grow. I Am Life. Would You Fight Life Itself?

Do Not Deride Someone's Faith Simply Because You Do Not Share It, Lord Cladent," Sazed Said Quietly.

I Point Out Truths When I See Them, Brightlord Sadeas. Each Man Has His Place. Mine Is To Make Insults. Yours Is To Be In-sluts.

Remember That Your Job As A Practicing Writer Is To Remember It's Never Going To Be Perfect On Your First Pass.

Faith Means That It Doesn't Matter What Happens. You Can Trust That Somebody Is Watching. Trust That Somebody Will Make It All Right.

There's Always Another Secret.' -kelsier

Normally, I Have A Lot Of Alpha Readers On My Books. These Are People That, Once I Finish A Novel, I Let Them Look At It And Give Me A Reader Response.

Why Do They Call It Research If I've Only Done It This One Time?

Llarimar Had Told Him To Do His Best. That Sounded Like An Awful Lot Of Work. Unfortunately, Doing Nothing Was Beginning To Seem Like Even More Work.

I Am What The Universe Made Me To Be, My Dear.

Spook: No, I'm Not Troubled. In Fact, I Actually Think Everything Is Going To Be All Right. Finally.

They Tried Boiling Books, But That Didn't Work Very Well." "i'm Surprised They Haven't Tried Boiling One Another." "oh, It's Been Tried," Galladon Said. "fortunately. Something Happens To Us During The Shaod—apparently The Flesh Of A Dead Man Doesn't Taste Too Good. Kolo? In Fact, It's So Violently Bitter That No One Can Keep It Down." "it's Nice To See That Cannibalism Has Been So Logically Ruled Out As An Option," Raoden Said Dryly

Too Many Of Us Take Great Pains With What We Ingest Through Our Mouths, And Far Less With What We Partake Of Through Our Ears And Eyes.

I Love To Do What I Do. So, I Do Work Long Hours.

I'm Galladon, From The Sovereign Realm Of Duladel. I'm Most Recently From Elantris, Land Of Sludge, Insanity, And Eternal Perdition. Nice To Meet You.

If You Don't Believe What I'm Telling You, Then Ask Yourself This: Would Any Decent, Kind-hearted Individual Become A Writer? Of Course Not.

How Do You Fight Someone Smarter Than Yourself?' Rand Whispered. 'the Answer Is Simple. You Make Her Think That You Are Sitting Down Across The Table From Her, Ready To Play Her Game. Then You Punch Her In The Face As Hard As You Can.

I Never Wanted To Be Feared. If I Regret One Thing, It Is The Fear I Have Caused. Fear Is The Tool Of Tyrants. Unfortunately, When The Fate Of The World Is In Question, You Use Whatever Tools Are Available.

I Have No Idea What You Just Said, Child,' Breeze Said. 'so I'm Simply Going To Pretend It Was Coherent, Then Move On.

Everyone Is Either Happy Or Dead.

Vin: I Don't Know -- And It's All Your Fault, You Know. I Used To Understand Everything. Now It's All Confused. Kelsier: Yes, We've Messed You Up Right Properly.

I Believe In Rendering To Science The Things That Belong To Science. I Have No Problem With Evolution Or Discussions Of The Age Of The Earth, For I Don't Believe That We Come Anywhere Near Comprehending The Mind Of God Or The Workings Of The Universe. Science Can Explain A Lot, But It Cannot Give Us Faith, And I Think We Need Both.

Elend Started. "vin!" Then, He Smiled. "what Took You So Long?" "i Got Delayed By An Inquistor And A Dark God," She Said. "now Hustle.

It Seems That The Rebels Found The Chaos Of Transition More Difficult To Accept Than The Tyranny They Had Known Before. They Joyfully Welcomed Back Authority-even Oppressive Authority-for It Was Less Painful For Them Than Uncertainty.

What Is It We Value? Innovation. Originality. Novelty. But Most Importantly...timeliness. I Fear You May Be Too Late, My Confused, Unfortunate, Friend.

So, Using His Pride Like A Shield Against Despair, Dejection, And-most Important— Self-pity, Raoden Raised His Head To Stare Damnation In The Eyes.

Too Many Scholars Think Of Research As Purely A Cerebral Pursuit. If We Do Nothing With The Knowledge We Gain, Then We Have Wasted Our Study. Books Can Store Information Better Than We Can--what We We Do That Books Cannot Is Interpret. So If One Is Not Going To Draw Conclusions, Then One Might As Well Just Leave The Information In The Texts.

It Is You!" The Man Exclaimed. "we Thought You Weren't Coming For Another Week!" "ashe," Sarene Mumbled, "who Is This Lunatic And What Does He Want With Me?

Boys, Welcome To The Wonderful World Of Talking To Women About Their Feelings. As A Handy Primer, Here Are A Few Things You Should Know: 1) Women Have Feelings. 2) You Will Spend The Next Seventy Years Or So Trying To Guess What They're Feeling And Why. 3) You Will Be Wrong Most Of The Time. 4) I Like French Fries.

My Dear, Did You Just Try To Prove The Existence Of God With Your Cleavage?

They Say A Man Doesn't Know Himself Until He Faces Death For The First Time. . . I Don't Know About That. It Seems To Me That The Person You Are When You're About To Die Isn't As Important As The Person You Are During The Rest Of Your Life. Why Should A Few Moments Matter More Than An Entire Lifetime?

Rest Of Your Life

Can A Woman Not Walk With Her Possessions Down The Street Of A City?

You See, That Is The Sad, Sorry, Terrible Thing About Sarcasm. It's Really Funny.

Women? Women Are Like...thunderstorms. They're Beautiful To Look At, And Sometimes They're Nice To Listen To-but Most Of The Time They're Just Plain Inconvenient.

The Door Slammed Open. Vivenna Jumped, Putting A Hand To Her Chest. Vasher Walked In. 'start Reaching For That Sword When You're Startled,' He Said. 'there's Little Reason To Grab Your Shirt, Unless You're Planning To Rip It Off.

To Lack Feeling Is To Be Dead, But To Act On Every Feeling Is To Be A Child.

I Froze, Shocked. (and Don't Try To Clam That You Did Anything Different The First Time A Government Bureaucrat Pulled A Gun On You.)

Regardless, I Still Do Not Believe That Your Duty Is To Do As The People Wish. Your Duty Is To Lead As Best You Can, Following The Dictates Of Your Conscience. You Must Be True. Your Majesty, To The Man You Wish To Become.

I Am Mountains That Crush. I Am Waves That Crash. I Am Storms That Shatter. I Am The End.

Overcome Your Guilt. Care, But Not Too Much. Take Responsibility, But Don't Blame Yourself. Protect, Save, Help- But Know When To Give Up. They're Precarious Ledges To Walk. How Do I Do It?

Remember, The Past Need Not Become Our Future As Well.

Pain Los[es] Its Power When Other Things Bec[o]me More Important.

All The World Does As It Is Supposed To, Except For Humans. Maybe That's Why You So Often Want To Kill Each Other.

It Sounds To Me, Young One," Haddek Said, "that You Are Searching For Something That Cannot Be Found." "the Truth?" Sazed Said. "no," Haddek Replied. "a Religion That Requires No Faith Of Its Believers.

It’s What Happens When You Shoot Someone,” Wayne Pointed Out. “at Least, Usually Someone Has The Good Sense To Get Dead When You Go To All The Trouble To Shoot Them.

Life Before Death. Strength Before Weakness. Journey Before Destination.

Can You Feel It? Something Just Changed. I Believe That’s The Sound The World Makes When It Pisses Itself.

I'm Not Really Sure Why. But... Do You Stop Loving Someone Just Because They Betray You? I Don't Think So. That's What Makes The Betrayal Hurt So Much - Pain, Frustration, Anger... And I Still Loved Her. I Still Do.

In The End, All Men Die. How You Lived Will Be Far More Important To The Almighty Than What You Accomplished.

I Am A Smedry, And We Do Ridiculous, Unexpected, Eccentric Things Like This All The Time! Ha-ha!

I'm Teoish," Sarene Said, Successfully Spearing Something That Looked Like A Marinated Piece Of Shrimp. "we're All This Tall." "father's Teoish Too, Kaise," Daorn Said. "and You Know How Tall He Is." "but Father's Fat," Kaise Pointed Out. "why Aren't You Fat Too, Sarene?

A Man Was Defined Not By His Flaws, But By How He Overcame Them.

The Hallmark Of Insecurity Is Bravado.

What Did It Mean To Be Called “lord”? I’ll Assume You’ve Never Had The Honor, Since I Doubt Any Of You Happen To Be British Royalty. (and, If By Chance You Are, Then Let Me Say, “hello, Your Majesty! Welcome To My Stupid Book. Can I Borrow Some Cash?”)

Expectations Were Like Fine Pottery. The Harder You Held Them, The More Likely They Were To Crack.

Honestly, For An Evil God Of Darkness, He Certainly Can Be Dull.

The More Limitations You Put On A Character Often Times The Better A Character You'll Make Them, The More Interesting The Story Becomes Because The Character Can't Simply Wave A Hand And Make Something Happen. They Have To Work Within The Framework.

Control Yourself. Become Someone Who Can Handle This.

I Killed You Once", The Lord Ruler Said, Turning Back To Kelsier. "you Tried", Kelsier Replied, His Voice Loud And Firm, Carrying Across The Square. "but You Can't Kill Me, Lord Tyrant. I Represent That Thing You've Never Been Able To Kill No Matter How Hard You Try. I Am Hope.

Vin Snorted, Kneeling In The Low Tent As She Pulled Her Belt Tight; Then She Crawled Over To Him. "i Don't Know How You Read While Riding," She Said. "oh, It's Quite Easy - If You Aren't Afraid Of Horses." "i'm Not Afraid Of Them," Vin Said. "they Just Don't Like Me. They Know I Can Outrun Them, And That Makes Them Surly.

Those Who Take Lightly Promises They Make To Those They Love Are People Who Find Little Lasting Satisfaction In Life. This Is Not An Easy Time In Which To Live. That Does Not Mean That It Has To Be A Difficult Time To Love, But It Does Mean That You Will Find Unusual Stresses Upon Your Lives And Your Relationship.

Satisfaction In Life

It's Easy To Believe In Something When You Win All The Time...the Losses Are What Define A Man's Faith.

But You Can't Kill Me, Lord Tyrant. I Represent That One Thing You've Never Been Able To Kill, No Matter How Hard You Try. I Am Hope.

The Shaod, It Was Called. The Transformation... When It Came, The Fortuante Person's Life Ended And Began Anew; He Would Discard His Old, Mundane Existence And Move To Elantris. Elantris, Where He Could Live In Bliss, Rule In Wisdom, And Be Worshiped For Eternity. Eternity Ended Ten Years Ago.

The Entire Point Of Life Is To Find Ways To Get Others To Do Your Work For You. Don’t You Know Anything About Basic Economics?

What Wasdat, Sir? What Wazzat Sir? What Wassat, Sir?” “wayne, What Are You Babbling About?” Waxillium Asked. “practicing My Pretzel Guy,” Wayne Said. “he Had A Great Accent...” Waxillium Glanced At Him. "that Hat Looks Ridiculous.” “fortunately, I Can Change Hats,” Wayne Said In The Pretzel-guy Accent, “while You, Sir, Are Stuck With That Face.

Once One Becomes A Man, He Can And Must Make His Own Decisions. But I Do Offer Warning. Even A Good Thing Can Become Destructive If Taken To Excess.

When I Do Research, I Cast My Net Very Widely And Then Snatch What Feels Right Out Of That. Occasionally I'll Read A Specific Book For A Specific Book, But Usually I'm Trying To Increase My General Understanding.

Words Are Where Most Change Begins.

Elend: I Kind Of Lost Track Of Time… Breeze: For Two Hours? Elend: There Were Books Involved.

Ham Smiled. "cett's Going To Be Furious." Elend Shrugged. "he's A Paraplegic. What's He Going To Do? Bite Us?

You're A Very Difficult Person To Manipulate, You Know." "nonsense," He Said. "you Just Have To Promise Me That I Won't Have To Do A Thing, And Then I'll Do Anything You Want." "anything?" "anything That Doesn't Require Doing Anything." "that's Nothing, Then." "is It?" "yes." "well, That's Something.

It's All Right Wayne," Waxillium Said Softly. "i've Made A Promise. I Told Lord Harms I'd Return Steris To Him. And I Will. That Is That." "then I Will Remain And Help," Marasi Said. "that Is That." "and I Could Really Use Some Food," Wayne Added. "fat Is Fat.

Strength Does Not Make One Capable Of Rule; It Makes One Capable Of Service.

One Cannot Seperate Truth From Actions...physically Inevitable Or Not, Truth Stands Above All Things. It Is Independant Of Who Has The Best Army, Who Can Deliver The Longest Sermons, Or Even Who Has The Most Priests. It Can Be Pushed Down, But It Will Always Surface. Truth Is The One Thing You Can Never Intimidate.

I Am A Writer Who Works From An Outline. What I Generally Do When I Build An Outline Is I Find Focal, Important Scenes, And I Build Them In My Head And I Don't Write Them Yet, But I Build Towards Them.

Ham Shook His Head, Sitting Down, Pouring Himself Something To Drink. "i Don't Get It, El. Why'd She Attack Him?" "she's Loony," Spook Said.

Better To Be The Failure Who Nobly Strived Than The Success Who Never Really Had To.

You See The Dilemma?” Ham Asked. “i See An Idiot,” Breeze Mumbled.

Never Throw The First Punch. If You Have To Throw The Second, Try To Make Sure They Don't Get Up For A Third.

What Was That?" Galladon Demanded. "i Think I Just Destroyed The Biology Section" Raoden Replied With Wonder.

...somehow The Old Philosophers Could Make Even The Most Salacious Topics Seem Boring.

Yelling A Battle Cry—more To Motivate Himself Than Frighten His Foes—lukel Grabbed The Table Leg And Swung It At A Soldier. The Wood Bounced Off The Man's Helmet, But The Blow Was Powerful Enough To Daze Him, So Lukel Followed It With A Solid Blow To The Face. The Soldier Dropped And Lukel Grabbed His Weapon. Now He Had A Sword. He Only Wished He Knew How To Use It.

Small Things Were Important. Secods Were Small Things, And If You Heaped Enough Of Those On Top Of One Another, They Became A Man's Life.

He Found Insanity No Excuse, However, For Irrational Behavior.

Well,” Waxillium Said. “perhaps I Should Begin By Asking After Your Health.” “perhaps You Should,” Steris Replied. “er. Yes. How’s Your Health?” “suitable.” “so Is Waxillium,” Wayne Added. They All Turned To Him. “you Know,” He Said. “he’s Wearing A Suit, And All. Suitable. Ahem. Is That Mahogany?

My Behavior Is Nonetheless, Deplorable. Unfortunately, I'm Quite Prone To Such Bouts Of Deplorability--take For Instance, My Fondness For Reading Books At The Dinner Table.

So, When People Try To Give You Some Book With A Shiny Round Award On The Cover, Be Kind And Gracious, But Tell Them You Don't Read "fantasy," Because You Prefer Stories That Are Real. Then Come Back Here And Continue Your Research On The Cult Of Evil Librarians Who Secretly Rule The World.

I Try To Avoid Having Thoughts. They Lead To Other Thoughts, And—if You’re Not Careful—those Lead To Actions. Actions Make You Tired. I Have This On Rather Good Authority From Someone Who Once Read It In A Book.

Being Polite To A Person Is Not A Sign Of Respect For Them. It Is Merely A Sign Of A Good Upbringing And A Balanced Nature.

Good Upbringing

Everyone Gets Scared, Princess. Even Brave Men Sometimes Run The First Time They See Battle. In Armies, That's Why There's So Much Training. The Ones Who Hold Aren't The Courageous Ones, They're The Well-trained Ones. We Have Instincts Like Any Other Animal.

Have You Finally Grown So Jealous Of My Impeccable Fashion Sense That You've Decided To Have Me Disposed Of?

Are There Any Religions On Your List That Include The Slaughter Of Noblemen As A Holy Duty?

Impossible Things Are Really Rough To Do, You Know.

Impossible Things

That’s The Funny Thing About Arriving Somewhere, Vin,” He Said With A Wink. “once You’re There, The Only Thing You Can Really Do Is Leave Again.

What Would You Think If I Told You That I Wasn’t An Allomancer?” Sazed Asked. “i’d Think That You Were Lying,” Vin Said. “have You Known Me To Lie Before?” “the Best Liars Are Those Who Tell The Truth Most Of The Time.

That Isn’t Greatness. That’s Just Foolishness.

Stop Moping, Sule," Galladon Said With A Grunt."it Doesn't Suit You-it Takes A Fine Sense Of Pessimism To Brood With Any Sort Of Respectability.

Personally, I Like It Much Better When Someone Else Does The Decision Making. That Way You Have Legitimate Grounds To Whine And Complain. I Tend To Find Both Whining And Complaining Quite Interesting And Amusing, Though Sometimes--unfortunately--it's Hard To Choose Which One Of The Two I Want To Do. Sigh. Life Can Be So Tough Sometimes.

The Purpose Of A Storyteller Is Not To Tell You How To Think, But To Give You Questions To Think Upon.

It Was Strange, How Easily And Quickly Protection Could Cause Destruction. Sometimes, Vasher Wondered If The Two Weren't Really The Same Thing. Protect A Flower, Destroy Pests Who Wanted To Feed On It. Protect A Building, Destroy The Plants That Could Have Grown In The Soil. Protect A Man. Live With The Destruction He Creates.

I Will Protect Those Who Cannot Protect Themselves.

Those Candle Flames Were Like The Lives Of Men. So Fragile. So Deadly. Left Alone, They Lit And Warmed. Let Run Rampant, They Would Destroy The Very Things They Were Meant To Illuminate. Embryonic Bonfires, Each Bearing A Seed Of Destruction So Potent It Could Tumble Cities And Dash Kings To Their Knees.

My Job Is Not To Save 'the Wheel Of Time', To Fix 'the Wheel Of Time', Or Anything Like That. My Job Is Not To Screw It Up.

I Need Something, Wax. A Place To Look. You Always Did The Thinking.” “yes, Having A Brain Helps With That, Surprisingly.

God Is The Creator Of All Things, Right? He Is The Force That Dictates The Laws Of The Universe, And Is Therefore The Ultimate Source Of Ethics. He Is Absolute Morality... We Claim To Be Doing Good. But The Lord Ruler - As God - Defines What Is Good. So By Opposing Him We're Actually Evil. But Since He's Doing The Wrong Thing, Does Evil Actually Count As Good In This Case?

I Had Eondel Teach Me," Raoden Said. "back When I Was Trying To Find Ways To Prove That My Father's Laws Were Foolish. Eondel Chose Fencing Becausehe Thought It Would Be Most Useful To Me, As A Politician. I Never Figured I'd End Up Using It To Keep My Wife From Slicing Me To Pieces.

You Cannot Tempt The Hearts Of Men Who Are Pure.

If We Must Put Our Head Into The Lion’s Mouth, Let Us Make Certain That He Chokes Upon Our Flesh!

I Still Doubt It Will Work." "you'd Doubt The Sun's Rising If You Weren't Proven Wrong Each Day," Raoden Said With A Smile.

I've Always Been Very Confident In My Immaturity.

Breeze Turned To Look Out The Window. "you Were Always The Best Of Us, Sazed," He Said Quietly. "because You Believed In Something.

Why Did They Believe? Because They Saw Miracles. Things One Man Took As Chance, A Man Of Faith Took As A Sign. A Loved One Recovering From Disease, A Fortunate Business Deal, A Chance Meeting With A Long Lost Friend. It Wasn't The Grand Doctrines Or The Sweeping Ideals That Seemed To Make Believers Out Of Men. It Was The Simple Magic In The World Around Them.

You're A Mean Old Man, Your Grace." "and That Is The Way It Should Be." Roial Informed. "mean Young Men Are Trivial, And Kindly Old Men Boring. Here, Let Me Get Us Something To Drink.

Does One Deserve To Have Evil Done To Her By Consequence Of Putting Herself Where Evil Can Reach Her?

Men Rarely See Their Own Actions As Unjustified.

Authors Also Create Lovable, Friendly Characters, Then Proceed To Do Terrible Things To Them, Like Throw Them In Unsightly Librarian-controlled Dungeons. This Makes Readers Feel Hurt And Worried For The Characters. The Simple Truth Is That Authors Like Making People Squirm. If This Weren't The Case, All Novels Would Be Filled Completely With Cute Bunnies Having Birthday Parties.

That's Kind Of What Trust Is, Isn't It? A Willful Self-delusion.

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