She grinned to herself. Safe. That sounded like a good plan. She should try that for a change. — James S. A. Corey

Thing about civilization, it’s what keeps people civil. You get rid of one, you can’t count on the other.

In order to be heard by the oppressing class, one must speak as a member of it. Not only the language, but the diction. The accusation of tyranny, however well-founded in fact, is dismissed unless it is delivered in the manner that power recognizes as powerful.

Thing is, we’re humans. We’re tribal. More settled things are, the bigger your tribe is. All the people in your gang, or all the people in your country. All the ones on your planet. Then the churn comes, and the tribe gets small again.