Oh, child. The world is monstrous at times, and there are those who would have you believe that you are terrible by association.” “I am.” “No. For you see, it flows the other direction. You are not worse for your association with the world, but it is better for its association with you.
The immortal demigod took a throaty slurp of her beer, then slammed the mug down onto the table, grinning like a four-year-old who had been paid in cookies to rat out her sister.
I can’t ever come up with any logical reason why she would want to be with me. I just... have to trust her judgment.
What you saw belongs to you. A story doesn’t live until it is imagined in someone’s mind.” “What does the story mean, then?” “It means what you want it to mean,” Hoid said. “The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon. Too often, we forget that.
A leader is often judged by how well he bears responsibility. As king, everything that happens in your kingdom – regardless of who commits the act -is your fault.
Holding your brain hostage against your own stupidity – that was how to get stuff done.
It made sense. But rich folk, they had a different word for the crapper. They’d call it a “commode” or a “washroom.” That way, when someone asked for the crapper, they knew it was a person they needed to oppress.
Kelsier smiled. Gods, it appeared, could still fall for a classic misdirection con.
Whenever I’m thinkin’ my life is miserable, I remember him, and tell myself, ‘Well, Wayne. At least you ain’t a broke, dickless feller what can’t even pick his own nose properly.’ And I feels better.
Besides, it was beneficial to have a reputation for honesty, if only so that one could lie at crucial moments.
Ham rubbed his chin. “I don’t know, Breeze. It’s an interesting question. By influencing her emotions, did you take away her ability to choose? If, for instance, she were to kill or steal while under your control, would the crime be hers or yours?
Huh, Kelsier thought. He holds the powers of creation in twain, a god among gods. And he’s still a terrible liar.
For the greater good.” “That has been the excuse of tyrants throughout all time.
Don’t forget the ash because you see a little silk.
Too much in high society is built around the idea of making certain you don’t need to trust anyone,” Waxillium said. “Contracts, detailed operating reports, not being seen alone with an eligible member of the opposite gender. If you remove the foundation of trust from a relationship, then what is the point of that relationship?
Navani Kholin was not some timid, perfect ideal. She was a sour storm of a woman, set in her ways, stubborn as a boulder rolling down a mountain, and increasingly impatient with things she considered foolish. He loved her the most for that.
Don’t you see, boy? This is why you shouldn’t be king. Leave the job to men who understand their own corruption; don’t let it destroy you.
Librarians seemed to have a sixth sense for noticing when students were doing things they weren’t supposed to.
Those people gave in to their pain because they couldn’t find purpose – their torture was meaningless, and when you can’t find reason in life, you tend to give up on it.
You’re an excellent judge of character, Sarene – except your own. Often our own opinions of ourselves are the most unrealistic.