You couldn’t live your life getting up and seeing the same things every day. You had to keep moving, otherwise people started to know who you were, and then they started to expect things from you. It was one step from there to being gobbled up.
You get to choose who you are. Legacy, memories of the past, can serve us well. But we cannot let them define us. When heritage becomes a box instead of an inspiration, it has gone too far.
They looked so dangerous, like alligators. Really fast alligators wearing black. Ninja alligators.
One man lying about is being idle; two men lying about is a lunch break.
It’s better if I have a hat... You wanna know a guy? Put on his hat.” -Wayne.
If anyone would be able to go about intimidating forces of nature, it would be you.
But here’s the thing. The lies we tell, the dreams we create, they’re not real. We can’t let them be real. This might be the hardest lesson you have to learn.
History, by definition, cannot be experienced directly. As it is happening, it is the present, and that is philosophy’s realm.
If you want to know a man, dig in his firepit... Basically, it meant that you could judge a lot about a man’s life by what he thew away – or by what he was willing to burn in order to stay warm.
This was life. This was control. Gavilar had been the leader, the momentum, and the essence of their conquest. But Dalinar had been the warrior. Their opponents had surrendered to Gavilar’s rule, but the Blackthorn – he was the man who had scattered them, the one who had dueled their leaders and slain their best Shardbearers.
Well, best to remain vigilant. It’s when everything is calm that you need to be most alert.
You could tell a lot about people from the way they talked. You saw their past, their upbringing, their aspirations – all in the words they used.
We may not be the ones to kill Steelheart. But even if we fail, we might be the cause of his death. Someday.
They’re scared of you.” Zahel’s voice, drifting again above the crowd. “Do you see it in them? Show them why.
Anonymity. Hiding, even when you’re with others. Being quiet, unobtrusive. Forcing yourself to stay apart – emotionally, at least. It’s a way of life. A protection.
Bravery isn’t about what people call you, Spensa. It’s about who you know yourself to be.
This is the thing I fight. This is the monster I must defeat. I fear that I have taken too long. Already, so much destruction has occurred that I fear for mankind’s survival. Is this truly the end of the world, as many of the philosophers predict?
Don’t you think a man better appreciates love when he has been forced for so long to go without?
For a second,” Megan added, “I thought you were going to be forced into the bathroom there with me. Too bad. It would have been amusing to watch you squirm.
Doesn’t that bother you?” Kaladin asked. “That you might be a creation of human perception?” “You’re a creation of your parents. Who cares how we were born? I can think. That’s good enough.