Quotes
“And so,” he said, “in the end, what must we determine? Is it the intellect of a genius that we revere? If it were their artistry, the beauty of their mind, would we not laud it regardless of whether we’d seen their product before?
“But we don’t. Given two works of artistic majesty, otherwise weighted equally, we will give greater acclaim to the one who did it first. It doesn’t matter what you create. It matters what you create before anyone else.
“So it’s not the beauty itself we admire. It’s not the force of intellect. It’s not invention, aesthetics, or capacity itself. The greatest talent that we think a man can have?” He plucked one final string. “Seems to me that it must be nothing more than novelty.”
p. 1000
The Way of KingsPeople see in stories what they’re looking for.
p. 807
The Way of KingsThat man’s so incompetent he might as well be fighting for the other side.
p. 667
The Way of KingsIriali were very particular about their chastity laws. They were very particular about a lot of things. Of course, that could be said for most peoples—the only difference were the things they were particular about.
p. 440
The Way of KingsEmbarrassment was worth escaping suspicion.
p. 676
The Way of KingsNever apologize for being clever, Shallan. It sets a bad precedent.
p. 460
The Way of Kings“The Assuredness Movement?” Shallan asked, holding up one of her books. “I guess I could get behind that.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Much easier to stab it in the back from that position.”
p. 459
The Way of Kings“You search for truth,” Jasnah said, “but you also hold to your faith. There is much to admire in that. Seek out the Devotary of Sincerity. They are one of the very smallest of the devotaries, but this book is their guide.”
“One with blank pages?”
“Indeed. They worship the Almighty, but are guided by the belief that there are always more answers to be found. The book cannot be filled, as there is always something to learn. This devotary is a place where one is never penalized for questions, even those challenging Vorinism’s own tenets.”
p. 681
The Way of Kings“I’m a Veristitalian,” Jasnah said. “We search for answers in the past, reconstructing what truly happened. To many, writing a history is not about truth, but about presenting the most flattering picture of themselves and their motives. My sisters and I choose projects that we feel were misunderstood or misrepresented, and in studying them hope to better understand the present.”
p. 630
The Way of Kings“I haven’t faith in people any longer, old friend,” Nohadon said. “Put two men together, and they will find something to argue about. Gather them into groups, and one group will find reason to oppress or attack another.”
p. 852
The Way of Kings“Then you’ll forgive an old man’s curiosity?”
“I always forgive curiosity, Your Majesty,” Jasnah said. “It strikes me as one of the most genuine of emotions.”
p. 464
The Way of KingsKaladin turned to Moash. “Why do they treat us so, Moash? Because they know they should be better than they are. Because they see discipline in bridgemen, and it embarrasses them. Rather than bettering themselves, they take the easier road of jeering at us.”
p. 792
The Way of KingsAll I can say is this: I know something of what it is to be hunted by the death and destruction of war. I see in your father’s eyes much of what I have felt, but worse. My personal opinion is that the things he sees are more likely a reflection of his past than any mystical experience.
p. 285
The Way of KingsAt 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.
p. 853
The Way of Kings“Then I guess the story is a lie”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No, I said it. Fortunately, it’s the best kind of lie.”
“And what kind is that?”
“Why, the kind I tell, of course.”
p. 806
The Way of KingsThe 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.
p. 806
The Way of Kings“I thought you were a believer.”
“I am. But just because I honor the Almighty doesn’t mean I’m going to accept any explanation, Kabsal. It might be religion, but it still has to make sense.”
p. 635
The Way of Kings“We never lack men and women who wish to lead.”
“True,” Dalinar said, “but we lack ones who are good at it.”
p. 851
The Way of Kings“All conflicts are essentially economic in nature…Money is behind every war,” Au-nak continued. “Religion is but an excuse. Or perhaps a justification.”
p. 753
The Way of Kings“You don’t know that for certain,” Teft said.
“You don’t know for certain I don’t know for certain.”
p. 988
The Way of Kings“I hadn’t thought to find ardents who were willing to question their own beliefs.”
Jasnah raised an eyebrow. “You will find wise men in any religion, Shallan, and good men in every nation. Those who truly seek wisdom are those who will acknowledge the virtue in their adversaries and who will learn from those who disabuse them of error. All others—heretic, Vorin, Ysperist, or Maakian—are equally close-minded.”
p. 681
The Way of Kings“I just don’t see how anything could be outside God’s decrees.” The king shook his head, bemused. “Brightness Jasnah, I don’t mean to argue but isn’t the very definition of the Almighty that all things exist because of him?”
“If you add one and one, that makes two, does it not?”
“Well, yes.”
“No God needs to declare it so for it to be true, Jasnah said. “So, could we not say that mathematics exists outside the Almighty, independent of him?”
“Perhaps.”
“Well,” Jasnah said, “I simply claim that morality and human will are independent of him too.”
“If you say that,” the king said, chuckling, “then you’ve removed all purpose for the Almighty’s existence!”
“Indeed.”
p. 466
The Way of Kings“But you began something today.”
“I began it?” he asked, amused, elated, confused, worried, and ashamed at the same time.
“The kiss was yours, Dalinar,” she said idly, pulling open the door and entering his antechamber.
“You seduced me to it.”
“What? Seduced?” She glanced back at him. “Dalinar, I’ve never been more open and honest in my life.”
“I know,” Dalinar said, smiling. “That was the seductive part.”
p. 864
The Way of KingsDalinar would have said that the outfits looked silly, but sometimes fashion was silly.
p. 813
The Way of Kings“Men in power always pretend things like virtue, or divine guidance, some kind of mandate to ‘protect’ the rest of us. If we believe that the Almighty put them were they are, it’s easier for us to swallow what they do to us.”
p. 832
The Way of Kings“Brightness…I believe you stray into sarcasm.”
“Funny. I thought I’d run straight into it, screaming at the top of my lungs.”
p. 136
The Way of Kings“When we are young,” Jasnah said, “we want simple answers. There is no greater indication of youth, perhaps, than the desire for everything to be as it should. As it has ever been.”
Shallan frowned, still watching the men by the tavern over her shoulder.
“The older we grow,” Jasnah said, “the more we question. We begin to ask why. And yet, we still want the answers to be simple. We assume that the people around us—adults, leaders—will have those answers. Whatever they give often satisfies us.”
“I was never satisfied,” Shallan said softly. “I wanted more.”
“You were mature,” Jasnah said. “What you describe happens to most of us, as we age. Indeed, it seems to me that aging, wisdom, and wondering are synonymous. The older we grow, the more likely we are to reject the simple answers. Unless someone gets in our way and demands they be accepted regardless.” Jasnah’s eyes narrowed. “You wonder why I reject the devotaries.”
“I do.”
“Most of them seek to stop the questions.”
p. 531
The Way of Kings“To be honest, ‘arrogant’ doesn’t feel like quite the right word. It’s not specific enough.”
“And what would be the right word, then?”
“I don’t know. ‘Errorgant,’ perhaps.”
Jasnah raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“It means to be twice as certain as someone who is merely arrogant,” Shallan said, “while possessing only one-tenth the requisite facts.”
p. 459
The Way of Kings“I do think that you ignored, or at least minimized, one vital part of the discussion.”
“Which is?”
Shallan tapped at her breast. “Our hearts, Brightness. I believe because I feel something, a closeness to the Almighty, a peace that comes when I live my faith.”
“The mind is capable of projecting expected emotional responses.”
“But didn’t you yourself argue that the way we act—the way we feel about right and wrong—was a defining attribute of our humanity? You used our innate morality to prove your point. So how can you discard my feelings?”
“Discard them? No. Regard them with skepticism? Perhaps. Your feelings, Shallan--however powerful—are your own. Not mine. And what I feel is that spending my life trying to earn the favor of an unseen, unknown, and unknowable being who watches me from the sky is an exercise in sheer futility.”
p. 470
The Way of KingsHence the purpose of education. To be young is about action. To be a scholar is about informed action.
p. 462
The Way of KingsLet the Vorin believe as they wish—the wise among them will find goodness and solace in their faith; the fools would be fools no matter what they believed.
p. 681
The Way of Kings“That’s horrible,” Kaladin said.
“I doubt many would disagree. But I mention these horrors for a purpose. You see, it has been my experience that no matter where you go, you will find some who abuse their power.” He shrugged. “Eye color is not so odd a method, compared to many others I have seen. If you were to overthrow the lighteyes and place yourselves in power, Moash, I doubt that the world would be a very different place. The abuses would still happen. Simply to other people.”
p. 652
The Way of KingsLife before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.
p. 607
The Way of KingsI have spent too much of my time worrying about what people think, Navani. When I thought my time had arrived, I realized that all my worrying had been wasted. In the end, I was pleased with how I had lived my life.
p. 951
The Way of KingsThat crazy man happened to have blue eyes, which let him get away with all kinds of trouble. Perhaps Wit should have been bemused by the stock these people put in something as simple as eye color, but he had been many places and seen many methods of rule. This didn’t seem any more ridiculous than most others.
p. 998
The Way of KingsThey were not demons, they were just men who had too much power and not enough sense.
p. 153
The Way of KingsThe body needs many different foods to remain healthy. And the mind needs many different ideas to remain sharp. Wouldn’t you agree?
p. 136
The Way of KingsWhat you said earlier is right; men are unreliable in many things. But if there’s one thing you can count on, it’s their greed.
p. 273
The Way of Kings“Are you going to answer me? Why is it you trust my daughter so much when others almost universally revile her?”
“I consider their disdain for her to be a recommendation,” he said.
“She is a heretic.”
“She refused to join any of the devotaries because she did not believe in their teachings. Rather than compromise for the sake of appearances, she has been honest and has refused to make professions she does not believe. I find that a sign of honor.”
Navani snorted. “You two are a pair of nails in the same doorframe. Stern, hard, and storming annoying to pull free.”
p. 427
The Way of KingsYes, I could have traveled quickly. But all men have been the same ultimate destination. Whether we find our end in a hallowed sepulcher or a pauper’s ditch, all save the Heralds themselves must dine with the Nightwatcher.
p. 818
The Way of Kings“There you go again.”
“What?”
“Feeling guilty. Dalinar, you are a wonderful, honorable man—but you really are quite prone to self-indulgence.”
Guilt? As self-indulgence? “I never considered it that way before.”
p. 887
The Way of KingsA man’s emotions are what define him, and control is the hallmark of true strength. To lack feeling is to be dead, but to act on every feeling is to be a child.
p. 377
The Way of KingsMy father is a man of passion and virtue. Just never at the same time.
p. 596
The Way of Kings“Saying confusing things isn’t the same as being witty.”
“Ah,” the man said, eyes twinkling. “Already you prove yourself more wise than most who have been my acquaintance lately. What is it to be witty, then?”
“To say clever things.”
“And what is cleverness?”
“I…” Why was he having this conversation? “I guess it’s the ability to say and do the right things at the right time.”
p. 801
The Way of KingsDeath comes, they whispered. Death comes to all. But life comes first. Cherish it.
Death is the destination. But the journey, that is life. That is what matters.
p. 610
The Way of KingsHe couldn’t give in to assuming he was cursed, or had bad luck, or whatever it was. Superstition never got a man anywhere. But he had to admit, the pattern was disturbing. If he acted as he always had before, how could he expect different results? He had to try something new. Change, somehow. This was going to take more thought.
p. 662
The Way of KingsIf we had to rely on what we knew, kings would only be of use in creating laws regarding the proper heating of tea and cushioning of thrones.
p. 817
The Way of Kings“Who’s put these ideas in your head? Why would you want to learn to hit other boys with a stick?”
“For honor, father,” Kal said. “Who tells stories about surgeons, for the Heralds’s sake!”
“The children of the men and women whose lives we save,” Lirin said evenly, meeting Kal’s gaze. “That’s who tell stories of surgeons.”
p. 155
The Way of KingsBut you always find people telling stories about supposedly better days. You watch. A man joins a new team of soldiers, and the first thing he’ll do is talk about how wonderful his old team was. We remember the good times and the bad ones, forgetting that most times are neither good nor bad. They just are.
p. 315
The Way of KingsYou know how he was. That force of will, that air of natural entitlement. It always seemed to surprise him when someone denied him or when the world itself didn’t do as he wished. He didn’t force me to defer—it was simply how life was.
p. 886
The Way of Kings“You intrigue me, Shallan Davar.”
She found her heart thumping. Oddly, a panic rose within her at the same time. “I shouldn’t be intriguing.”
“Why not?”
“Logic puzzles are intriguing. Mathematical computations can be intriguing. Political maneuvers are intriguing. But women…they should be nothing short of baffling.”
“And what if I think I’m beginning to understand you?”
“Then I’m at a severe disadvantage,” she said. “As I don’t understand myself.”
p. 596
The Way of KingsMen were not in command of their own religious paths; the priests control the doctrine, and few members of the Church were allowed to know theology. They were taught to follow the priests. Not the Almighty or the Heralds, but the priests.
p. 285
The Way of KingsKabsal sighed. “Brightness Jasnah, I realize that you are not fond of me. But I am working very hard to be pleasant. Could you at least pretend to do likewise?”
p. 683
The Way of Kings“The purpose of youth is to experience variety while it is still interesting.” She glanced at Dalinar. “It isn’t until we get older that we should be forced to be boring.”
p. 332
The Way of KingsI have found that youths like you have a relative lack of appreciation for the distant past.
p. 460
The Way of Kings“Why are you here?
“Why am I here?” the man asked, lowering his flute, leaning back and relaxing. “Why are any of us here? That’s a rather deep question for a first meeting, young bridgeman. I generally prefer introductions before theology. Lunch too, if it can be found. Perhaps a nice nap. Actually, practically anything should come before theology. But especially introductions.”
p. 800
The Way of KingsProof that one can be both intelligent and accept the intelligence of those who disagree with you? Why, I should think it would undermine the scholarly world in its entirety.
p. 460
The Way of Kings“She’s rarely vocal about her beliefs unless provoked.”
“She’s ashamed, then.”
“I doubt that. Merely considerate.”
p. 507
The Way of KingsThe ardents who passed through town were careful to explain that the Calling of a farmer was a noble one, one of the highest save for the Calling of a soldier. Kal’s father whispered under his breath that he saw far more honor in feeding the kingdom than he did in fighting and dying in useless wars.
p. 245
The Way of Kings“I never said that!”
“Yes, but I pretended you did. Which is virtually the same thing.”
p. 507
The Way of KingsBitterness is repaid more often than kindness. One of his father’s sayings.
p. 98
The Way of Kings“Stories and legends, Teft,” Kaladin said. “We want to believe that there were better men once. That makes us think it could be that way again. But people don’t change. They are corrupt now. They were corrupt then.”
p. 832
The Way of KingsI shouldn’t be so hard on our neighbors. They’re petty, yes, but it’s the pettiness of the ignorant. I’m not disgusted by them. I’m disgusted by the one who manipulates them.
p. 482
The Way of KingsArt was about creation. That was its soul, its essence. Creation and order. You took something disorganized—a splash of ink, an empty page—and you built something from it. Something from nothing. The soul of creation.
p. 948
The Way of KingsA layer of skin, a layer of fat, a layer of muscle, a layer of bone. That was what men were.
p. 789
The Way of Kings“I was thinking philosophy,” Jasnah said.
Shallan blinked. “Philosophy? What good is that?” Isn’t it the art of saying nothing with as many words as possible?
“Philosophy is an important field of study,” Jasnah said sternly. “Particularly if you’re going to be involved in court politics. The nature of morality must be considered, and preferably before one is exposed to situations where a moral decision is required.”
p. 528
The Way of Kings“Curious,” she said. “I will do my best to pretend there was sense in that. As an aside, has it ever struck you that most masculine arts deal with destroying, while feminine arts deal with creation?”
p. 418
The Way of Kings“My circumstances are unusual, Brightness.”
“Ignorance is hardly unusual, Miss Davar. The longer I live the more I come to realize that it is the natural state of the human mind. There are many who will strive to defend its sanctity and then expect you to be impressed with their efforts.”
p. 87
The Way of Kings“I didn’t say Tvlakv isn’t a bastard. He’s just a likable bastard.” He hesitated, then grimaced. “Those are the worst kind. When you kill them, you end up feeling guilty for it.”
p. 77
The Way of KingsBut expectations were like fine pottery. The harder you help them, the more likely they were to crack.
p. 61
The Way of Kings
That’s all the quotes.
70 quotes in the collection · come back when we add more