The Third Kingdom Quotes

“The ability to reason is what gives us our capacity to have empathy for others, to value life itself. Our ability to judge right from wrong, to value all life, is only possible through our ability to reason. Reason is what powers morality.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“There is no such thing as compromising between civilization and savagery. Civilization must always defend itself against savagery or else fall to it.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“In the end, people believed what they wanted to believe. The truth had very little to do with it.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Oftentimes it’s easier for lunatics to attract impassioned followers than it is for sensible people to get people to listen to reason. People are often more willing to believe lies than the truth. Lies can be made to sound pleasant. The truth, by its very nature, isn’t always so attractive. “That leaves peaceful people no choice but to fight for their lives or fall to the blades of madmen. In such a situation, there is no middle ground. There is no such thing as compromise between civilization and savagery. Civilization must always defend itself against savagery or else fall to it.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Are you really going to turn down gifted help? That's your plan? Do without what could make all the difference?"
"My plan is to move swiftly, strike fast, and get out. You would slow me down."
She arched an admonishing eyebrow. "And if you break a leg in a badger hole while moving swiftly, who is going to help you? I'm going with you, Lord Rahl, and that is all there is to it."
Richard pressed his lips tight as he appraised the determination in her dark eyes.
"You are one stubborn little girl."
"Not a girl," she said with conviction. "Samantha, sorceress serving the Lord Rahl."

******

Richard sighed as he rose up from beside Kahlan. "I know. But there's no choice. It's something I have to do. This threat could kill people in numbers beyond your ability to imagine. I'm the Lord Rahl. I have to do what is necessary to protect all the people of the New World."
Ester dipped her head. "I can't argue with the word of the Lord Rahl..." Ester gestured at Samantha. "But why is she going?"
"Because she is stubborn," Richard said.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“The people who most often invited trouble were the willfully ignorant who didn’t want to believe trouble was possible, so they dismissed the potential for it. You couldn’t be ready for what you never considered or were unwilling to consider.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Richard straightened with a sigh. "People are often more willing to believe lies than truth. Lies can be made to sound pleasant. The truth, by it's very nature, isn't always so attractive."
"That leaves peaceful people no choice but to fight for their lives or fall to the blades of madmen. In such a situation, there is no middle ground. There is no such thing as compromise between civilization and savagery. Civilization must always defend itself against savagery or else fall to it."
"I guess that's our part in this?"
Richard nodded. "I've never wanted to fight, to be in a war, to see good people die, to have to kill. I just wanted to live my life in peace. Others wouldn't allow me that life of peace. The battles I fight have always been to survive and live in peace, not to conquer.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“We believe in treating others as we would want to be treated.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“We teach our children to help those in need because one day we might be the ones in need, and we can only hope to earn such help if we are worthy, if we are the kind who would give it and not just receive it. We believe in treating others as we would want to be treated.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“As long as we have choices in life and use our heads, there is always the possibility of turning around the worst situation.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“You are not destined for anything. You make your own destiny.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Each day lived," Richard said, "is one less of our limited number of days gone forever. Time therefore has relevance and meaning to us. Life is precious, so time is precious. Time is how we put value on things such as love. We give our most precious commodity, our time-a part of our lives-over to those we love.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Books served to keep hard-won knowledge safe. They endured.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Oftentimes it’s easier for lunatics to attract impassioned followers than it is for sensible people to get people to listen to reason. People are often more willing to believe lies than the truth. Lies can be made to sound pleasant. The truth, by its very nature, isn’t always so attractive.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Civilization must always defend itself”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“He remembered Zedd telling him that old age meant that the only thing he really knew was that he would never know it all, much less know enough.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“I’m sorry, Lord Rahl, but I don’t think you are the kind of man who would want me to tell you anything other than the truth.” Richard stared into Samantha’s dark eyes. “No, I wouldn’t. Only the truth can help us.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“I love her too much to keep her from leaving,”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Powerful people who lose power do not feel anguish and heartache like a jilted lover.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Surprise was their greatest weapon. He didn’t want to give it up without a very good reason.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“My mother always said that if you predicted rain long enough, sooner or later you would get wet and be proven right.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Sometimes lunatics are so driven, they can take the whole world into madness with them.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“When he died, he told himself, he would have all eternity to rest. If he wanted to live, if he wanted others to live, it was going to take effort.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“...it’s no help to be ignorant of the truth....”
― terry goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“I understand, Lord Rahl. Find the wizard Zedd and the sorceress Nicci and get them out so that they can heal you of the death inside you so that you can end prophecy and end the threat to the world of life now that the barrier is down.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“The tightly focused battle was an orgy of slaughter. Limbs, heads, and parts of bodies from men and women alike littered the ground.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Books were links that spanned such missing human bonds or even times of savagery and its resulting ages of ignorance.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Little things are a good place to start. Larger understanding is built on little things. We put those little things we learn together into larger concepts.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“Books served to keep hard-won knowledge safe. They endured. Books could almost be immortal.”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom

“The ability to reason is what gives us our capacity to have empathy for others”
― Terry Goodkind, The Third Kingdom