"no wonder people were so secretive with their craft. it wasn't just about preventing competition. the more you knew about the process, the less wondrous and more ordinary it became."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"sometimes, to see what was at the bottom of a cloudy rain barrel, you needed to stir the water to bring up what was at the bottom."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"like a river... calm and placid when not agitated, but a furious and deadly current when squeezed too tightly."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"each day is a battle. each day i refuse to bend means something."

- egwene al'vere, in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"for some there is less freedom than for others. It does not matter whether we choose or are chosen. What must be, must be. my power and influence are meaningless against fate."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"a soldier. a veteran. some men gained experience through years spent living. other men gained experience through months spent watching their friends die."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"he knew well that the tighter one tied a bale, the sharper the snap of the cords when they were cut."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"winning didn't necessarily mean living. and following orders often didn't mean either winning or living."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"better to fix the problem before leaving than to be stranded halfway to the destination."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"chaos was the most deadly when you made assumptions about what it could and couldn’t infect."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"a difficult decision is not always a decision where both sides are equally matched."

- selucia, in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"being in control wasn't so much about the power you had, but the power you implied that you had."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"respond to demands with silence, respond to challenges with questions."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"people did not respond to anger. they did not respond to demands. silence and questions, these were far more effective."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"the only neat battles were the ones in stories or history books. those had been cleansed and scoured by the abrasive hands of scholars looking for conciseness: 'agressor won, fifty-three thousand killed' or 'defender stood, twenty thousand fallen.'"

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"he treated all with equity. a person didn't gain stature by being a king or queen; one gained stature by keeping to one's oaths and doing one's duty."

- tam al'thor, in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"i've known men who, when challenged, always turn to their fists for answers. a bully is a bully, whether she uses the strength of her arm or other means."

- tam al'thor, in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"one might have thought that the years would also have taught her patience, but it had done the opposite. the older she grew, the less inclined she was to wait, for she knew she didn't have many years left."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"unfortunately, her years had taught her that no measure of planning or determination could make life turn out as you wanted. that didn't stop her from being annoyed when it didn't."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"maybe that was just age speaking. she was old, and that was making her increasingly intolerant of foolishness."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"it didn't show fear to prepare your retreat ahead of time. it was just plain good strategy."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"each lash she endured, each pain she suffered, was a victory. and victory was always a reason for happiness, no matter how one’s pride or one’s skin burned."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"sometimes, we are so concerned with the things we have done that we do not stop to consider the things we have not."

- amys, in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"it is not making excuses to explain fact, and it is not cowardice to be cautious about a difficult task."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"there were fights you could win, and others you just had to leave for someone else."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"you need to make some decisions. in the days coming, you'll need to have a side and you'll need to know why you've chosen it."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"you press us for results and yet you deny us the tools we need to get them. whether you name it torture, questioning, or baking, i call it foolishness."

- cadsuane, in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"a flower in a field of weeds was always a sight, but if you passed cultivated flower beds every day, none of them drew your notice."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"and would you really want to run?

i could have left. but, at the same time, i couldn't have. not without betraying who i was.

does it matter if you can run, when you know that you’re not going to?"

- tam al'thor, in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"you always have a choice. maybe you can't pick where you are forced to go, but you still have a choice. the choice isn't always about what you do, but why you do it.

when i was a soldier, there were some men who fought simply for the money. there were others who fought for loyalty--loyalty to their comrades, or to the crown, or to whatever. the soldier who dies for money and the soldier who dies for loyalty are both dead, but there's a difference between them. one death meant something. the other didn't."

- tam al'thor, in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"frustration is pointless. anger is pointless. neither emotion will change facts, and the fact is that I have no more time to waste."

- rand al'thor, in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

gawyn: we came all this way for an opportunity. and now that i've inspected that opportunity, we're not going to take it. only a fool looses his arrow just because he's got a bird in front of him.

jisao: why wouldn't you loose it if it's right there in front of you?

gawyn: because sometimes the prize isn't worth the arrow.

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"Honor didn't come from being punished, but accepting a punishment and bearing it restored honor. that was the soul of Obligation -- the willing lowering of oneself in order to recover that which had been lost."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"all religions lead to the same God, and all deserve the same respect."

- paulo coelho's "like the flowing river"

"she was not one who enjoyed a challenge in a fight. she'd always preferred to win straight out.

some generals said that never struggling meant never being forced to improve. she figured that she and her men would do their improving on the practice field, and leave the struggling to her enemies."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"it was important to establish control when there was no great conflict, so that if a crisis did happen, people would know where to look."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"just because you were sure your opponent would react in a certain way did not mean he would."

- in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"their lives had changed. she didn't trust change. it couldn't be spotted or stabbed; it was more silent than any scout, more deadly than any assassin. no, she'd never trust it, but she would accept it."

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

tam al'thor: i’ve never forgiven myself for it. though it needed doing.

rand al'thor: the ones that need to be done often seem the ones that we least like to have to do.

tam: that's the truth if i've ever heard it.

- in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"it was bad to give orders that would not be obeyed. it put people in the habit of disobeying."

- in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"have you ever been in love? horrible isn't it? it makes you so vulnerable. it opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. you build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...you give them a piece of you. they didn't ask for it. they did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. love takes hostages. it gets inside you. it eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so a simple phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. it hurts. not just in the imagination. not just in the mind. it's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. i hate love."

~ neil gaiman

"but embracing pain did not mean just giving way to it rather than fighting. you had to draw the pain inside of you and welcome it as a part of you. you must be able to smile and laugh with joy or sing while the worst of the pain still gripped you."

- in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"some in your place have failed not because they lacked the capacity for greatness, but because they stretched that capacity too thin, sprinting when they should have walked."

- siuan, in robert jordan's/brandon sanderson's "the gathering storm"

"the twisted iron pieces of a puzzle moved only in certain ways. move them in the right way, and the puzzle came apart. people could move in a thousand ways, sometimes in directions you never believed possible till it happened."

- in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"you're over-thinking... don't place some vague moral judgment on yourself based on what others might think. don't waste your energy."

- christian, in e.l. james' "fifty shades of grey"

"pretend something too long, and it could become truth."

- in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"you tell him there's no shame in tears. tell him to cry when tears are called for."

- faile, in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"men would not follow you unless they knew you were ready to face the same dangers and hardships they did."

- in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"i felt i owed you an apology and a warning. i’m not a hearts and flowers kind of man, i don't do romance. my tastes are very singular. you should steer clear of me."

- christian, in e.l. james' "fifty shades of grey"

"truth has more shadings than you might think, and distance often distorts truth into something very different from the facts."

- sareitha, in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"finding a murderer was a joy, far more satisfying than settling a boundary dispute. it was the most heinous of crimes, the theft of what could never be recovered, all the years that would never be lived, all that might have been done in them."

- in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"...a way of dealing with pain. they embraced it, gave themselves over to it without fighting or even trying to hold back screams. perhaps that would help... that way the pain could be cast off without keeping its hold on you."

- in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"when fire threatens the trees, we do not run away and hope that the flames will not follow us. we fight. and we dare not run from it."

- loial, in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"a good general... brave, but not overly brave. he won't get himself killed just to show how brave he is."

- furyk karede, in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"a reputation was a fine thing when it enhanced your bargaining power, but only a fool went looking for fights."

- in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"just because a thing is a certain way, doesn't mean it should be that way, even if it has been for a long time."

- tuon, in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"he had to do it. he was not particularly brave, but he had learned about bravery watching humans, watching them hang on no matter how strong the winds grew, fight when they had no hope, fight and win because they fought with desperate courage."

- in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"logic is always applicable to the real world, but only a novice would think the real world can be applied to logic. ideals MUST be first principles. NOT the mundane world."

- miyasi, in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"the first lesson is what questions to ask. the second, and just as important, is when and how to ask."

- thom merillin, in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"as well ask why water is wet and sand dry, child. put your mind on what is possible rather than why some things are not."

- turanine, in robert jordan's "knife of dreams"

"when there were no good choices, you had to choose the one that seemed least wrong."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"men never knew when to keep their mouths shut. telling a man to be quiet only made him gossip all the harder, just to close friends he could trust, to be sure, as if they in turn would not tell everyone who would listen."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"acknowledging the truth could never be a betrayal, yet she needed to remember. you could forget who you were if you forgot where you came from."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"anger made for hasty decisions and rash words that sometimes were hard to take back."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"change came so slowly you never noticed it creeping up on you, or far too fast for comfort, but it came. nothing stayed the same, even when you thought it did. or hoped it would."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"even a slim branch is better than no branch when you’re drowning. i'd rather try than trust to hope until I go under."

- janya, in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"it's when you don't make plans that you wish you had."

- sareitha, in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"...never lost a war. battles, yes, but never a war. when they lose a battle, they sit down and work out what they did wrong, or what the enemy did right. then they change what needs changing for them to win."

- rand al'thor, in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"people never really changed, yet the world did, with disturbing regularity. you just had to live with it, or at least live through it. now and then, with luck, you could affect the direction of the changes, but even if you stopped one, you only set another in motion."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"when people HAD to obey you in one thing, they always found ways to wriggle away on others, and the more they were forced to obey, the more places they found for wriggling away. It was a natural balance you could not escape."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"yet even oaths of fealty left room for the most loyal people doing the worst possible thing in the belief that it was in your best interest. and people who had been coerced into their oaths could be adept at spotting the gaps and leeways."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"always plan ahead, but worry too hard over next year, and you can trip over tomorrow."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"the hand of justice requires motive and proof."

- selucia, in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"straightforward is not always the best way. sometimes, certain things must be done behind masks, for safety."

- balwer, in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"for some who swear an oath, whatever is not forbidden is permitted, and whatever is not commanded can be ignored. others take actions they believe will help their liege without first asking permission."

- balwer, in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"truth almost always did come out in the end, but by the end, truth was often so wrapped around with rumors and speculation and absolute lies that most people never did believe it."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"if her enemies believed she was afraid, they would only grow bolder. and stronger. cowardice was the sort of rumor that stuck like greasy mud; you never could wash it off completely."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"a ruler, or one who sought to rule, was not allowed the slightest suggestion of weakness or tears, not in public. she could not afford to let anyone see her apparently seeking comfort in a hug."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"i have to do what i can, not worry over what i can't."

- rand al'thor, in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"better not to ask. when you ask questions, then you have to hear the answers whether you want to or not."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"that was the trouble with agreeing to advise someone. even when you managed to set all the conditions you could wish for—most of them, anyway—you still had to come sooner or later when they called."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"fear is a useful spur to the wits, and to determination, when well controlled. if we have no fear of our enemies, that leaves only contempt, and contempt leads to the enemy’s victory." - masuri, in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"strategy and tactics. learn the ground, learn your enemy, and if you could not win one way, you found another.

strategy. think to the future. do the unexpected.

tactics. put your opponent off balance."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"some said that turnabout was fair play, but she had never believed in fighting fair. either you fought, or you did not, and it was never a game. fairness was for people standing safely to one side, talking while others bled. unfortunately, there was little she could do beyond trying to find a way to balance events. Balance was not at all the same as fairness."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"i am frightened," faile replied. "i just try not let it show. crying never does any good." most men believed that. tears could get in your way if you let them, but a few tears shed at night could help you make it through the next day.

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"loyalty is precious above the breath of life, followed closely by knowing when to keep silent. the more who speak of a thing, the more will learn of it who should not."

- karede, in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"it is impossible to live or move without making mistakes. but we live, and we go on. and if we sometimes need to conceal our mistakes, whenever possible, we rectify them. even when it is painful."

- lelaine, in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"what he had were obligations he could not walk away from and a future he did not fancy. taking responsibility drained all the joy out of life and dried a man to dust."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

samitsu: "fostering upheaval inside is no way to maintain the peace. there is a precarious balance now, but it is a balance, and we mustn't disturb it."

sashalle: "upheaval will come whether or not we foster it. the surface of the water may be still, but the fish never stop swimming."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

g|mrng (",) yesterday was national heroes day; what will we make of today?

"the innocent died along with the guilty. and if you did nothing, then only the innocent died. or as bad as died."

"how the horror of yesterday became merely the uneasiness of today, once you grew accustomed."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"but sometimes the only choice was between bad and worse."

- in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

beep? (",)

"he had always been called a gambler, though he was not. the trick was in knowing what risks you could take. and sometimes, in knowing which ones you had to take."

- in robert jordan's "crossroads of twilight"

"swords only become useful when wits fail."

- moad, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

(".)

"better to feel a fool than be one."

- birgitte, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"beauty flees. years will make your breasts sag, your flesh grow slack, your skin grow leathery. men who smiled to see your face will speak to you as if you were just another man. your husband may see you always as the first time his eyes caught you, but no other man will dream of you. will you no longer be you? your body is only clothing. your flesh will wither, but you are your heart and mind, and they do not change except to grow stronger."

- viendre, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"your arms will grow weak, your legs will lose their swiftness. a youth will be able to take the knife from your hand. how will skill or ferocity avail you then? heart and mind are the true weapons. but did you learn to use the spear in a day? if you do not hone mind and heart now, you will grow old and children will befuddle your wits. when you speak, all will hear only the wind. take heed while you can."

- tamela, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"there is violence in you. deny it, and deny yourself. have you never raged and struck out? have you never drawn blood? have you never wished to? without considering another way? without any thought at all? while you breathe, that will be part of you."

- viendre, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"you think men do not stare at your face in approval? you are beautiful, and you know it. deny it, and deny yourself! you have taken pleasure in men's looks, and smiled at them. will you never smile at a man to give your arguments more weight, or touch his arm to distract him from the weakness of your arguments? you will, and you will be no less for it."

- tamela, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"courage is a well, deep in some, shallow in others. deep or shallow, wells go dry eventually, even if they fill again later. you will face what you cannot face. your spine will turn to jelly, and your vaunted courage will leave you weeping in the dust."

- viendre, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"you did not rise just through your ability. you needed to read the intent that lay between the words of your orders, to interpret small gestures and facial expressions; you had to notice who deferred to whom, even subtly, for courage and ability alone took you only so high."

- in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"some men have an air about them that makes other men follow where they lead. some lead to devastation, others to glory. i think your name may go into the history books."

- noal charin, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

harine: "i understand obeying orders. i approve of obeying orders! however, orders that have been carried out can be forgotten. they no longer need be spoken of. do you understand me?"

sarene: "i do not see how one can deliberately forget. but i suppose you mean that we should pretend to. is that it?"

- in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"sometimes you're just too weak to do what you should."

- rand al'thor, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"i am punished for flaws ignored in others, for flaws i never make, because i might!"

- talaan, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"a trap isn't really a trap if you know it's there. if you know it's there, maybe you can see a way to walk in so it isn't a trap at all."

- rand al'thor, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"no battle ever went according to plan, even the best. great captains earned their reputation not just for laying brilliant plans, but for still being able to find victory after those plans began to fall apart."

- in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

mat cauthon: "who cares what stories people tell? gossip isn't going to hurt anybody."

thom merilin: "not true, mat. stories have power. gleemen's tales, and bards' epics, and rumors in the street alike. they stir passions, and change the way men see the world."

- in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"if a sword had memory, it might be grateful to the forge fire, but never fond of it."

- in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"you can never know everything and part of what you know is always wrong. perhaps even the most important part. a portion of wisdom lies in knowing that. a portion of courage lies in going on anyway."

- al'lan mandragoran, in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"attack before they know what you are doing, and keep attacking until you rout them or break through"

- in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"sometimes, you find yourself outnumbered, with no path to slip away. always do what your enemy least expects. in that case, you must attack."

- in robert jordan's "winter's heart"

"the fact that men like looking at a woman doesn't mean she invites it."

- egwene al'vere, in robert jordan's "the path of daggers"

"failure made shame surge in her heart. there WAS shame in failing at what you should be able to do."

- in robert jordan's "the path of daggers"

"you are braver than most. and wiser. so long as you do not let bravery overcome your fear too far."

- shaidar haran, in robert jordan's "the path of daggers"

"survival lost some of its attraction if it was survival on a leash."

- in robert jordan's "the path of daggers"

"let someone know you need them and they have a hold on you. a leash, to pull you where they want. i won't put a halter on my own neck."

- rand al'thor, in robert jordan's "the path of daggers"

"we have what they want, but they have what we need. i'm afraid that means they set the price."

- merilille, in robert jordan's "the path of daggers"

"the Law of Unintended Consequences, stronger than any written law: whether or not what you do has the effect you want, it will have three at least you never expected, and one of those usually unpleasant."

- in robert jordan's "the path of daggers"

"words could hurt as hard as fists, the wrong words, words you never meant, let loose in a temper."

- in robert jordan's "the path of daggers"

"when you die, people begin to forget, who you were and what you did, or tried to do. everybody dies eventually, and everybody is forgotten, eventually, but there's no bloody point dying before your time comes."

- davram bashere, in robert jordan's "the path of daggers"

"only a fool thinks his enemies stand still when he isn't looking."

- damer flinn

"it is the enemy you underestimate who kills you."

- amys

in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"a haughty display of submission to the greater will... an arrogant showing of their lack of arrogance. the pride of humility."

- in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"a haughty display of submission to the greater will... an arrogant showing of their lack of arrogance. the pride of humility."

- in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"you have never faced something you could not fight, something so strong your only choice is to flee or be consumed alive. try to hold judgment."

- thom merilin, in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"'if you don't know everything, you must go on with what you do know.' it seems i never do know everything. hardly enough, most of the time. but there's no choice but to go on, is there?"

- rand al'thor, in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"wounds to the pride are remembered long after wounds to the flesh."

- bair, in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"do what you must, then pay the price for it. it was refusal to admit the debt, refusal to pay, that often turned necessity to evil."

- in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"men sometimes bear pain they do not have to as a badge of their pride. and their foolishness."

- nandera, in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"it was always better to know than to be ignorant, but sometimes ignorance was much more comfortable."

- in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"practicality sent her here instead, not fear of the forbidden. she had done what was not done before, and she was certain she would again should it become necessary. do what you must, then pay the price for it."

- in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"i will believe you until i learn you’ve lied to me, and i will trust you until you show you don’t deserve it."

- egwene al'vere, in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"you have the courage of three men. and the sense of a child on leading strings. why is it that as a man's courage goes up, his sense goes down?"

- faile, in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"being careless where you knew it did not matter could lead to being careless where it did. worse, you could discover you had been wrong about where it mattered. the weak must be bold cautiously."

- in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"you are fighting shadows when you should be fighting the men who cast them."

- daario, in george r.r. martin's "a dance with dragons"

"our gods gave us legs to run with, noses to smell with, hands to touch and feel. what mad cruel god would give a man eyes and tell him he must forever keep them shut, and never look at all the beauty in the world?"

- kojja, in george r.r. martin's "a feast for crows"

"the past was past; what was now, was, and must be accepted."

- robert jordan's "a crown of thorns"

"for all her brains, she saw what she wanted to see, would try to make true what she wanted to be true."

- in robert jordan's "a crown of swords"

"learn that simple civility sometimes won what honesty would surely lose."

- in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"...when it seemed hope was gone but you went on fighting because the cost of giving up was too great."

- in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"noblewomen never had enough sense to come in out of the rain. and then they were indignant when they got wet."

- in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"have you ever thought of helping them do what they want instead of what you want?"

- thom merilin, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"unity is better than division, peace better than war, patience better than death."

- rafela, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"we are always more afraid than we wish to be, but we can always be braver than we expect."

- sorilea, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"all was not lost, of course. all was never lost as long as you were alive."

- in robert jordan's "lord if chaos"

"we are all fools sometimes, child, yet a wise woman learns to limit how often."

- lelaine, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"you shouldn’t think you know the whole story when you’ve heard part."

- thom merilin, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"if a woman is stronger than her husband, she comes to despise him. she has the choice of either tyrannizing him or else making herself less in order not to make him less. if the husband is strong enough, she can be as strong as she is, as strong as she can grow to be."

- deira bashere, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"few easy decisions to make, and fewer where one can be sure. do what you must, and pay the price if you're wrong. sometimes if you are right, too."

- siuan sanche, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"he did not think he was particularly brave—doing what you had to do was not bravery—but he had never really thought he might be a coward until now."

- in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"she was going away, but before she did, she had to put matters right. it was possible... you did what you had to do, then paid the cost."

- in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"four rules concerning action and information.

never make a plan without knowing as much as you can of the enemy.

never be afraid to change your plans when you receive new information.

never believe you know everything.

and never wait to know everything.

the man who waited to know everything was still sitting in his tent when the enemy burned it over his head."

- in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"absurdities are never laughed at there; only listened to. what is too absurd to believe is believed because it is too absurd to be a lie."

- balwer, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"a fool moans when fortune takes him down, and it takes a true fool to moan when fortune takes him up. what i want to know about you isn't what you were, or even so much what you are, as what you are inside."

- davram bashere, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"'duty is heavier than a mountain, death lighter than a feather.' once you had that mountain firmly on your shoulders, there was no way to put it down. there was no one else to carry it anyway, and no use whining about it."

- in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"if anyone could break any rule they chose, do whatever they chose, and escape punishment merely by doing some good to balance it, the world would be chaos."

- sheriam, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"sometimes knowing gives no advantage whatsoever. sometimes it only means sharing the danger."

- siuan sanche, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"attack on ground where your enemy believes you will not, from an unexpected direction at an unexpected time. defend where your enemy believes you are not, and when he believes you will run. Surprise is the key to victory, and speed is the key to surprise."

- mat cauthon, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"first things first; take care of what can be done now before worrying too long over what might never be."

- in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"if you took risks, sometimes the bill came due when you least expected, in the last way you expected."

- in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"he was no hero, and did not want to be one. heroes had a bad habit of getting killed. when you were a hero, it was toss the dog a bone and shove him into a corner out of the way, unless it was promise the dog a bone and send him out to hunt again."

- in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"it is always harder to abandon an alliance the world thinks you entered freely than one you can prove you were forced into. reckless haste leads to ruin."

- pedron niall, in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"there were always five things that needed doing immediately and ten that should have been done yesterday."

- in robert jordan's "lord of chaos"

"to be near the mighty, you must stand in their shade." - in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"i will not allow you to make me less, to make my decisions less, by claiming responsibility for them." - birgitte, in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"a king or queen must dispense justice without fear of enemies or favor for friends." - elayne trakand, in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"a pebble in your shoe was small compared to having your head cut off, but if the pebble was there and the chopping block might never be..." - in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"there was no such thing as fairness in war. you took your enemy from behind, when he least expected it, when and where he was weakest." - in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"do we fight? if we do, then know that in battle there is only winning and losing. rules against hurting are for games." - melaine, in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"i think perhaps i've always felt i was masquerading as someone else, building up a mask until it became second nature. there was serious work to be done... and by the time i realized there was another way i could have gone, i had the mask on too firmly to take off." - leane, in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"people who claimed they were collecting money to help others often had a way of letting a good bit stick in their own pockets, or else they liked the power that spreading it about gave them, liked it far too much." - in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"one way to find money for the poor... simply rob anyone who was not poor. of course, that would just make everyone poor in the end, but it might work for a time." - in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"how long now had he been doing what was necessary instead of what was right? in a fair world, they would be one and the same." - in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"it seems to me that kings—and queens—can be fools when they forget what they are and act like who they are, but they're worse when they only remember what they are and forget who. most could do with someone whose only job is to remind them that they eat and sweat and cry the same as any farmer." - nynaeve, in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"men and maidens struggle against fate even when it is clear the Pattern weaves on despite their struggles. you must learn to ride fate. only by surrendering to the Pattern can you begin to have some control over the course of your own life. if you fight, the Pattern will still force you, and you will find only misery where you might have found contentment instead." - bair, in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"letting emotions go clouds judgment for a moment, but holding them in clouds it always. just be sure you do not release them too often, or when it is best to keep control of them." - amys, in robert jordan's "the fires of heaven"

"the present is much clearer than the future... what is happening or beginning is more easily seen than what will happen, or may." - melaine, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"do not trouble trouble till trouble troubles you." - siuan sanche, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"life is uncertainty and struggle, choice and change; one who knew how her life was woven would have the life of an animal. if she did not go mad. humankind is made for uncertainty, struggle, choice and change." - amys, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

rand: "i have heard it said that you should believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see."

kadere: "a wise rule. yet to achieve greatly, a man must believe something. belief and knowledge pave the road to greatness. knowledge is perhaps the most valuable of all. we all seek the coin of knowledge."

- in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

faile: "a general can take care of the living or weep for the dead, but he cannot do both."

perrin: i am not a general, faile. i am a fool of a blacksmith who thought he could use other people to help him get justice, or maybe revenge. i still want it, but i don't want to use anyone else for it any longer."

faile: do you think they will go away because you decide your motives are not pure enough? Are they any less vile? do you need a purer reason to fight them than what they are?

- in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"the worst sin a general can commit, worse than blundering, worse than losing, worse than anything, is to desert the men who depend on him." - faile, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"only a fool do reject sense, wherever it do come from." - baile domon, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"we know more than you think. and less than we believed. to believe a thing is not to make it true." - gaul, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"when you choose the fight, you must take the consequences, win or lose." - bain, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"you will remember enough to know some things that must be, despised as they may be, and some that must not, cherished hopes that they are. this is the beginning of being called wise." - amys, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"prophecy is no more than the sign of what people hope for. fulfilling the Prophecies will only bind you to a path..." - lanfear, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"move first, be the hammer, not the nail." - moraine, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"...how a nation was led as well as how it was governed, two very different things, but both necessary. and sometimes things had to be done for both that were worse than unpleasant, although the price of not doing them was worse still." - in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"confrontation was not her way when it could be avoided; it was better to guide people than try to hammer them into line." - in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"change. you know he brings change. it is wondering what change, and how, that makes us like children alone in the dark. since it must be, let it begin now." - rhuarc, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"i would not take your place for all the world, not with the fate that accompanies it. death or madness, or both. that you must die to save fools who will heave a sigh of relief at your death. no, i would not accept that for all your power and more." - natael, in robert jordan's the shadow rising

abell cauthon: "don't let it eat you inside. hate can grow till it burns everything else out of you."

perrin aybara: "nothing is eating me. i just mean to do what needs doing."

- in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"the best way to keep a secret was to make sure no one knew who did not absolutely have to know." - in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"just because a people's ways are different doesn't mean they are wrong." - egwene al'vere, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"you can't walk away from what has to be done." - perrin aybara, in robert jordan's "the shadow rising"

"you can turn the worst that comes to your advantage if you only think." - in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"men always seem to refuse to admit they are sick until they’re sick enough to make twice as much work for women. then they claim they’re well too soon, with the same result." - siuan sanche, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"the more people know a thing, the more the knowledge spreads, even with the best will." - siuan sanche, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"rumor is the voice of the people, and the voice of the people often speaks truth." - thom merrilin, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"do not cut off your ears because you do not like your earrings." - elayne, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"for the young, death is an enemy they wish to try their strength against. for those of us a little older, she is an old friend, an old lover, but one we are not eager to meet again soon." - rhuarc, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"such trouble it causes killing a man, even when he deserves killing. kill a man who needs killing, and sometimes others pay for it. the question is, was it worth doing anyway? there's always a balance, you know. good and evil. light and dhadow. we would not be human if there wasn't a balance." - thom merillin, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"to lead is neither to push nor to pull." - leanne, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"those bonds would not hold her again, not because she hated them, but because she had outgrown them." - in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"do not question me. you do not know which questions to ask, and you would comprehend less than half the answers if i gave them. which i will not." - moraine damodred, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"but who can know the heart of a man? not even he himself, i suspect. a man is the easiest animal to put on a leash, and the hardest to keep leashed. even when he chooses it himself." - siuan sanche, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"i have no shame in admitting i will be glad enough to run from this fight. men fight when they should run, and fools fight when they should run. but i had no need to say it twice." - zarine, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"of course i am afraid. i am not a fool. but not afraid enough to quit before I have even started." - elayne, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"would you put your head in a bear's mouth just to show you weren't afraid? would you do it twice just because you'd done it once and didn't die?"

~ in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"you must learn there is a time to speak all of the truth, and a time to govern your tongue. rumor takes wing along a hundred paths. always plan for the worst, child; that way, all your surprises will be pleasant ones." - verin, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"just because fate has chosen something for you instead of you choosing it for yourself doesn’t mean it has to be bad. even if it’s something you are sure you would never have chosen in a hundred years." - leya, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"it is possible to oppose evil without doing violence. violence harms the doer as much as the victim. if we do violence to oppose evil, soon we would be no different from what we struggle against. - leya, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"it is possible to oppose evil without doing violence. violence harms the doer as much as the victim. if we do violence to oppose evil, soon we would be no different from what we struggle against. - leya, in robert jordan's "the dragon reborn"

"is it betrayal to betray a traitor?" - siuan sanche, in robert jordan's "the great hunt"

"a man must seek duty, not glory. what will happen, will happen."

~ lord agelmar, in robert jordan's "the great hunt

"death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain."

"there is one rule, above all others, for being a man. whatever comes, face it on your feet." - al'lan mandragoran, in robert jordan's "the great hunt"

"when you can’t win a big victory, learn to settle for the small ones. there will come a time when you must achieve a goal at all costs. you will know when it comes, when the price is worth the gain, and there is no other choice left to you." ~ al'lan mandragoran, in robert jordan's "the great hunt"

"what you practice too often, you use without thinking." ~ ingtar, in robert jordan's "the great hunt"

"someday, i am sure, you will serve a cause, and you will learn then that to serve it you must work even with those whom you dislike." ~ liandrin sedai, in robert jordan's "the great hunt"

"men often mistake revenge and killing for justice. they seldom have the stomach for JUSTICE." ~ nynaeve al'meara, in robert jordan's "the great hunt"

"the only thing to do is the best you can. there isn't anything else TO do." ~ elayne, in robert jordan's "the great hunt"

"patience is a virtue that must be learned, but we must all be ready for the change of an instant." ~ sheriam, in robert jordan's "the great hunt"

"truth is always difficult to find, but the Seekers spare no pain in their search, and they will search as long as they think there is need." ~ turak, in robert jordan's "the great hunt"

"some men choose to seek greatness, while others are forced to it. it is always better to choose than to be forced. a man who's forced is never completely his own master. he must dance on the strings of those who forced him." ~ nynaeve al'meara, in robert jordan's "the great hunt"

"sometimes, stories make things larger than truth." ~ al'lan mandragoran, in robert jordan's "the eye of the world"

"hope is like a piece of string when you’re drowning; it just isn’t enough to get you out by itself." ~ perrin aybara, in robert jordan's "the eye of the world"

"women who strive to be equal to men lack ambition."

"the hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." ~ eric hoffer

"remove yourself from situations where two things are not permitted: being yourself and dreams are not allowed to grow."

~ dodinsky (via kat acuña)

"great works are performed, not by strength, but perseverance." ~ samuel johnson

"if you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary." ~ jim rohn

"failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." ~ john wooden

"whether it’s ending conflict, or rebuilding a country, the world cannot ignore half the population." ~ hilary clinton

"real education should consist of drawing the goodness and the best out of our own students. what better books can there be than the book of humanity?" ~ cesar chavez

"change means movement. movement means friction. don't complain, please." ~ paulo coelho

"life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those cards you hold well." ~ david roads

"the beginning is the most important part of the work." ~ plato

"one stops being a child when one realizes that telling one's trouble does not make it any better." ~ cesare pavese

"guess, if you can, and choose, if you dare." ~ pierre corneille

"one can only learn his powers of action by action, and his powers of thought by thinking." ~ john burroughs

"nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. you not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him." ~ martin luther king, jr.

"the possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react." ~ george bernard shaw

"you don't have to be the best. you just have to be better than last week." ~ lito sy

"every path has a destination. direction, not intention, determines destination."

"i have been impressed with the urgency of doing. knowing is not enough; we must apply. being willing is not enough; we must do." ~ leonardo da vinci

"if you look in the mirror and don't like what you see, don't blame the mirror; if you look at the world and don't like what you see don't blame the world.”

"keep on the lookout for novel ideas that others have used successfully. your idea has to be original only in its adaptation to the problem you're working on." ~ thomas alva edison

"life is measured by the rapidity of change, the succession of influences that modify the being." ~ george eliot

"real change is accompanied by a new insight. insight is an impulse of love dissolving some old imprint." ~ deepak chopra

"it wasn't raining when noah built the ark." ~ howard ruff

"a person who carries responsibility also receives blame." ~ kenyan proverb

"a superior doctor prevents sickness; a mediocre doctor attends to impending sickness; an inferior doctor treats sickness." ~ chinese proverb

yawn!ö parts 1 and 2 of 5 done. only.

"they had not disgraced themselves... but they had not distinguished themselves either." ~ in g.r.r. martin's "a feast for crows"

"you will never do anything in this world without courage. it is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor." ~ aristotle

"sometimes there is no happy choice... only one less grievous than the others." ~ maester aemon targaryen in g.r.r. martin's "a feast for crows"

“a man can bear most anything, if he must. the world is full of horrors. you can fight them, or laugh at them, or look without seeing... go away inside.”

~ jaime lannister, in g.r.r. martin's "a feast for crows"

"trying times are not the times to stop trying." ~ ray owen

"success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." ~ winston churchill

"habits are first cobwebs, then cables." ~ spanish proverb

"improvement begins with i."

~ arnold h. glasgow

"i hear and i forget, i see and i remember. i do and i understand.

~ chinese proverb

"everyone wants something. and when you know what a man wants you know who he is, and how to move him." ~ petyr baelish a.k.a. littlefinger, in g.r.r. martin's "a storm of swords"

"i have no special talents. i am only passionately curious."

~ albert einstein.

resolutions

happy new year. (",)

ok. so i've been meaning to do this for the past few days: re-starting a blog again. yes, no grammatical error there. since it's that time of year when people write the resolutions they will guiltily break in a few weeks, i've decided to ride this particular bandwagon and see where it takes me.

the first thing i resolved to do was re-start a blog again. supposedly, on the first day of the new year. well, that didn't work. so i  said to myself, well, there's always chinese new year, why not then? so i waited three weeks. and i still wasn't able to re-start a blog again.

procrastination. kills you everytime.

lately i've been having difficulty finding the time to sit down, gather my thoughts, write them down, and post them on a blog (much less act on them). i do get to share these thoughts with others to preserve my sanity but nothing beats "publishing" your thoughts so they may also torment others. that's what makes facebook and twitter so popular, i guess.

i have to get my groove back. which means managing my self in relation to time. but, afraid of falling into the "new year's resolution trap", i've decided to "tweanker" (tweak and tinker) with this old tradition. so like a good little management student, this is what i'll do: write resolutions (i've already thought of three), break them down in action points (which i may be adding to as the year progresses), and, to give myself a sense of accomplishment, set milestones.

here goes.

my resolutions are simple: healthy, wealthy, and wise. sounds like something they teach you in grade school, doesn't it? too general, too vague, too detached from the realities of the world i move in. thus, the need for action points and milestones.

for "healthy", i'll start with: reduce the intake of softdrinks. how about once a week? or perhaps, half a liter or less per week? now for "wealthy": minimize credit card use. no swiping except for tickets and gas? hmmm. i'll have to think about that some more (shopaholics' creed: "do i need this?") and for "wise": blog more. two to three entries a week.

sounds good. sounds solid. now to make an excel file, print it out, and post it in my office and bedroom. make or break time starts today.

"know that you are greater than any result, good or bad. identify yourself with the bigger picture and not the minute details.”

~ deepak chopra

"practice is required if you want to master your craft. always try to stay inspired. go out for a nice walk, talk to people, read books. and finally, stay humble. talent can get you places, but it's character that will keep you there." ~ paolo reyes

"confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong."

~ peter t. mcintyre

"throughout the centuries, there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision."

~ ayn rand

the adventures of light. coming soon. (",)

"throughout the centuries, there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision." ~ ayn rand

"if you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's ok. but you've got to shoot for something. a lot of people don't even shoot." ~ confucius

"you need a mind open to possibility, conditioned to love the creative spirit we all have inside ourselves."

~ yanni

"wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."

~ plato

..."it is not a question of 'being eloquent before the dumb.' the people are not dumb, which is your conceited mistake and mistaken conceit..."

~ conrado de quiros, in his pdi 9jan12 column "there's the rub"

"i never did anything worth doing by accident."

~ plato

"the gods give each of us our little gifts and talents, and it is meant for us to use them. any act can be a prayer, if done as well as we are able."

~ lady smallwood in g.r.r. martin's "a storm of swords"

"great things are done by a series of small things brought together."

~ vincent van gogh

"if you must play, decide on three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time."

~ chinese proverb

"the secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings."

~ david weinbaum

something "new" connotes a change from a previous state; and, hopefully, a "positive difference".

may your resolutions reflect your "newness". and may they fill the world with goodness and peace.

may you continuously make a difference in your own little corner of the world.

love more, learn more, be more, do more, live more.

may you have the grace to recognize how blessed you have been and how blessed you are.

happy new year! (",)