Brandon Sanderson

"We must not let our desires for a specific result cloud our perceptions."

"It’s too easy to forget the cost not only to the boys who die, but to the ones who live. Every commander should be reminded periodically."

"The man who forges weapons can claim he’s never killed, but he still prepares for the slaughter."

"She knew she shouldn’t let the lack of results bother her. Real scientists understood that experiments like this weren’t failures; they were necessary steps on the way to discovery."

"You don’t get to choose to be free, Venli. Just which master to follow."

"“We proved nothing,” Navani said. “We had a single failed experiment.”"

"The trouble wasn’t getting answers. It was finding the presence of mind to accept them."

"“Nothing is real,” Wit said. “At least by one measure of philosophy. So enjoy what you seem to be able to eat and don’t complain.”"

"“Your stories always have a point,” Kaladin said. “I am an artist,” Wit said. “I should thank you not to demean me by insisting my art must be trying to accomplish something. In fact, you shouldn’t enjoy art. You should simply admit that it exists, then move on. Anything else is patronizing.”"

"“You like irony now too?” “Irony tastes good. Like sausage.”"

"True freedom—with the power to make certain she didn’t ever have to be dependent upon anyone else, listener or spren. True freedom couldn’t exist while someone else had power over you."

"“Innocence is more false a god than the ones in our songs,” Venli said, sitting beside her sister. “People who chase it will find themselves enslaved.”"

"Those gods had never deserved reverence. What was a god who only made demands? Nothing but a tyrant with a different name."

"In her little room of a laboratory, everything fit together. She’d met scholars who claimed they needed chaos to function. Perhaps that was true for some, but in her experience, good science wasn’t about sloppy inspiration. It was about meticulous incrementalization."

"I name you idiot for playing with powers you only presume to understand."

"And storm Teft if it wasn’t a valid question. One not enough soldiers asked themselves. Right here, right now, should I be fighting? Is there a better way?"

"Mathematics thought that there were numbers associated with tones—frequencies, wavelengths. Music, at its most fundamental level, was math."

"He grinned, then kissed her hand again. He seemed to think that sort of thing would eventually spark passion in her. When in truth, physical stimulation was so inferior to mental stimulation."

"“The way you talk lacks hope.” “‘Hope,’” she said, spreading her papers out on the table. “Have I ever told you how much I dislike that word? Think of what it means, what it implies. You have hope when you’re outnumbered. You have hope when you lack options. Hope is always irrational, Uncle.”"

"Who did she think was listening? Was she only praying because she was afraid? Yes, she thought, continuing to paint. I’m afraid. And I have to hope that someone, somewhere, is listening. That someone has a plan. That it all matters somehow. Jasnah took comfort in the idea that there was no plan, that everything was random. She said that a chaotic universe meant the only actions of actual importance were the ones they decided were important. That gave people autonomy."

"“You run like a coward.” “Every good sergeant is a coward! And proud of it! Someone needs to talk sense to the officers!”"

"War was a masculine art, but when you started attacking women, you’d stopped engaging in war. You deserved anything that happened to you after that point."

"So Ishar was a butcher, a mad surgeon as well as a crazed theocrat. For some reason, that relieved Dalinar. It was disgusting, but this was an ordinary kind of evil. He’d expected something worse."

"Adeline placed the glyphward in the brazier, then bowed his head as it burned. A prayer to the Almighty for aid. His combatants for the day would probably be burning their own prayers. How did the Almighty decide whom to help?"

"The difference between a successful thief and a dead thief is knowing when to escape with your takings."

"“Someone has to care,” she said, starting down the hallway. “Too few people care, these days.” “You say this while coming in to rob people.” “Sure. Ain’t gonna hurt them.” “You have an odd sense of morality, mistress.” “Don’t be stupid,” she said. “Every sense of morality is odd.”"

"All stories have been told before. We tell them to ourselves, as did all men who ever were. And all men who ever will be. The only things new are the names."

"“The storm caught him,” Kaladin said. “The storm catches everyone, eventually. Does it matter?” “I don’t know.” “Good.” Wit tipped his sword up toward his forehead, as if in respect. “Then you have something to think about.”"

"To be human was often to be forced to choose between distasteful options."

"“When did you get so peppy?” she shouted. “Ever since I assumed I was dead, then I suddenly wasn’t.” “Then remind me to try to kill you once in a while,” she snapped. “If I succeed, it will make me feel better, and if I fail, it will make you feel better. Everyone wins!”"

"To age truly was to suffer the ultimate treason, that of one’s body against oneself."

"“‘Honor’ is a word applied to the actions of men from the past who have had their lives scrubbed clean by historians.”"

"Jasnah had once defined a fool as a person who ignored information because it disagreed with desired results."

"“I have to protect him,” Kaladin whispered. Why? “If I protect …” He coughed. “If I protect…only the people I like, it means that I don’t care about doing what is right.” If he did that, he only cared about what was convenient for himself. That wasn’t protecting. That was selfishness."

"I watched you keep your word with perfection. This is a thing lost to most people—it is the only genuine beauty in the world."

"“That makes no sense.” “Of course it makes sense,” Gawx said. “It’s government.”"

"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."

"“So now you’re normal.” “Course I am,” she said. “It’s everyone else that’s weird.”"

"“But profiting off people’s emotions?” “Pity can be a powerful tool. Anytime you can make someone else feel something, you’ve got power over them.”"

"“You seem to have found purpose in talkin’ a whole bunch,” Lift said. “Without being helpful to nobody.”"

"Too few people listened to anything other than their own thoughts."

"You will find that hate can unify people more quickly and more fervently than devotion ever could."

"“Eventually I found the best source of information to be the soldiers with guard the city walls.” “I’ve heard of them,” Sarene said, looking over her clothing. “They’re supposed to be the most elite fighting group in Arelon.” “And they are very quick to tell you so, my lady,” Ashe said. “I doubt many of them would know what to do in a battle, though they seem quite proficient at cards and drinking. They tend to keep their uniforms well pressed, however.”"

"Men often place pride before reason."

"“I do, however, wonder why you preach hatred of the Atlantans when you yourself simply pity them.” Hrathen didn’t respond immediately, tapping his gauntleted finger against the stone parapet with a repetitive click. “It’s not so hard, once you accustom yourself to it,” he finally said. “A man can force himself to hate if he wishes, especially if he convinces himself that it is for a higher good.”"

"“I suppose an optimistic comment wouldn’t do much good right now.” Galladon smiled slightly. “Definitely not—you optimists just can’t understand that a depressed person doesn’t want you to try and cheer them up. It makes us sick.”"

"You have to expect a measure of subterfuge in any political engagement."

"They needed to work and improve their own lives, not wait for some external miracle."

"For the man whose religion claims to spread truth, priest, your lies are strikingly vulgar."

"There's always another secret."