Golden Fool (Tawny Man, #2)

by Robin Hobb

I could set aside my responsibilities to others and live my life as I pleased only when I also severed my ties to them. I could not have it both ways. To be part of a family, or any community, is to have duties and responsibilities, to be bound by the rules of that group.

To recognize you are the source of your own loneliness is not a cure for it. But it is a step toward seeing that it is not inevitable, and that such a choice is not irrevocable.

You always chose to be bound by who you are. Now choose to be freed by who you are.

Anyone, even a king, can begin to buy a man with gifts. And at first it may seem no more than that between them. But eventually, loyalty and even deep regard can spring up. For when we are cared for by someone, or when we care for someone, that is the beginning of the bond.”

He attributed much of the unjust persecution to fear, and much of the fear to ignorance.

Perhaps having the courage to find a better path is having the courage to risk making new mistakes.