The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)

by Brandon Sanderson

But expectations were like fine pottery. The harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack.

“Well, I myself find that respect is like manure. Use it where needed, and growth will flourish. Spread it on

too thick, and things just start to smell.”

Sometimes we find it hardest to accept in others that which we cling to in ourselves.

The means by which we achieve victory are as important as the victory itself.”

They were the lowest in the army, and yet they bore the weight of kings.

A 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.”

‘Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.’

“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.”

‘And so, does the destination matter? Or is it the path we take? I declare that no accomplishment has substance nearly as great as the road used to achieve it. We are not creatures of destinations. It is the journey that shapes us. Our callused feet, our backs strong from carrying the weight of our travels, our eyes open with the fresh delight of experiences lived.

‘In the end, I must proclaim that no good can be achieved of false means. For the substance of our existence is not in the achievement, but in the method.

“The finest defense of character is correct action. Acquaint yourself with virtue, and you can expect proper treatment from those around you.”

Strength does not make one capable of rule; it makes one capable of service.”