Demon in White Quotes

“You cannot lead as a tyrant. The people under you will not let you. To lead is a kind of service, a duty you owe to those who follow.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“The greater part of wisdom is in silence.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“But then, so few of us truly think themselves evil. They simply think good and evil matters of opinion, and seek to impose their opinion—which is evil—on good. Nothing is evil in its beginning, it only grows that way.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“Men are slower to act from principle than self-interest, and far slower to act on principle than jealousy or revenge.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“We do not get to choose our circumstances or our trials. We can only choose how to respond to them.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“Because we are not good.” It took me a moment to realize that it had been I who’d answered. Both my master and student looked at me. “If we were good men, we’d not need all this reflection.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“The Golden Age ended because men forgot philosophy in their pursuit of knowledge. They traded a love of wisdom for progress, and it destroyed them.” In a small voice, he added, “The ancient Christians were right to name pride the greatest of man’s sins.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“Religion and science are old enemies,” Imlarros said. Gibson cleared his throat, and in a thin voice strained by the descent, said, “They’re not, brother. Only fools think so.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“That may be, but my tutor always told me that all heroes are fools until victorious.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“Better to let them be fools. There are some arguments you can’t win without violence. Like I’m always telling you, reason has its limits.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“Rank only formalizes relationships between people, Alexander. It does not create them. One has rank because one deserves it, and if one does not deserve it, he will lose his rank. Or his life. A man would do well to become worthy of his honors, else he will be deposed as a tyrant.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“A fear born of the fact that though we may come back to a place at the end of our journeys, we never really return, for we are not the same person who departed.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“How small I felt, how meager my actions seemed, and how inconsequential. How tiny were all the actions of man against that blank and uncaring universe? How could any of it matter? How could any of us? I know better now. The universe has no center, they say . . . and yet the universe is infinite. Is not then every point the center of the universe, surrounded on all sides by infinite space? Copernicus was as wrong as he was right. The Earth of old was as much the center of the universe as the sun she circled. So too were Mars, and Jupiter beyond.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“Great is Truth, and mighty above all things.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“Obedience out of fear of pain. Obedience out of fear of the other. Obedience out of love for the person of the hierarch. Obedience out of loyalty to the office of the hierarch. Obedience out of respect for the laws of men and of heaven. Obedience out of piety. Obedience out of compassion. Obedience out of devotion.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“But in age once more the magic returns, if you are willing and open to it. Though young wood does not burn for the moisture in it, as a lonely cinder may catch in old, dry wood and spark a great burning, so do such small things kindle the hearts of those with eyes and time to see.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“I had believed that I alone had the wisdom to set the world to rights, not knowing then that true wisdom lies in knowing that I did not possess that wisdom, and never would.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“The great empire of silence: higher than all stars, deeper than the kingdom of death! It alone is great; all else is small.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“And you don’t have to thank me,” Gibson added. “All you have to do is teach in turn. Make the world a little wiser.” “Not that the world will ever be wise,”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“Science means to know, not to close your fucking eyes!”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“I am not certain what I did to deserve those years. I had been given an island in time, a haven and refuge from all that had passed before and what must follow.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“A sword does not discriminate between friend and foe.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“He was not another of my cultists, no true believer at all. He was the most ardent sort of skeptic, the sort who disbelieves despite even the evidence of his eyes.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“To the first: I do not have servants. I am not their master. If you must rely on rank to command then you’ve already lost your people.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“Firstly, they are not my servants. I am theirs.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“you don’t think history is valuable?” Valka made a rude gesture. “Not when history is an ass.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“We lie to ourselves all the time, but there remains a piece of us near our heart that whispers, You don’t believe that.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“Syriani Dorayaica. The Scourge of Earth.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“Every place is the center of the universe. Everything matters. Every one of our actions, every decision, every sacrifice. Nothing is without meaning, because nothing is without consequence.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White

“No one blamed Lord Hadrian Marlowe.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Demon in White