Good Sanderson Quotes & Sayings

Good men can make terrible kings,' Tindwyl noted.
'But bad men cannot make good kings.' Sazed said. 'It is better to start with a good man and work on the rest, I think. — Brandon Sanderson

Troublemaking is just about the only thing I'm good at — Brandon Sanderson

The ending of a book is, in my experience, both the best and worst part to read. For the ending will often determine whether you love or hate the book.
Both emotions lead to disappointment. If the ending was good, and the book was worth your time, then you are left annoyed and depressed because there is no more book to read. However, if the ending was bad, then it's too late to stop reading. You're left annoyed and depressed because you wasted so much time on a book with a bad ending.
Therefore, reading is obviously worthless, and you should go spend your time on other, more valuable pursuits. — Brandon Sanderson

Marsh: Our best efforts were never even a mild annoyance to the Lord Ruler.
Kelsier: Ah, but being an annoyance is something that I am very good at. In fact, I'm far more than just a 'mild' annoyance
people tell me I can be downright frustrating. Might as well use this talent for the cause of good, eh? — Brandon Sanderson

Great. Lovely. Can I have your hat?"
"My ... hat?" The elderly woman looked up at the oversized hat. The sides drooped magnificently, and the thing was festooned with flowers. Like, oodles of them. Silk, he figured, but they were really good replicas.
"You have a lady friend?" Aunt Gin asked. "You wish to give her the hat?"
"Nah," Wayne said. "I need to wear it next time I'm an old lady."
"The next time you what?" Aunt Gin grew pale, but that was probably on account of the fact that Wax went stomping by, wearing his full rusting mistcoat. That man never could figure out how to blend in. — Brandon Sanderson

Jasnah raised an eyebrow. "You will find wise men in any religion, Shallan, and good men in every nation. Those who truly seek wisdom are those who will acknowledge the virtue in their adversaries and who will learn from those who disabuse them of error. All others - heretic, Vorin, Ysperist, or Maakian - are equally closed-minded. — Brandon Sanderson

She was not going to ruin a good dress for a pot of drooling, wall-staring, imbecile grass. And that was that. — Brandon Sanderson

A good officer was one who accepted orders and fulfilled them, even when he disagreed. But the mark of a great officer was that he also tried to innovate and offer appropriate suggestions. — Brandon Sanderson

Good men don't need to become legends. They just do what's right anyway. — Brandon Sanderson

Vin," he said flatly, "did you just suggest that we attend a ball being held in the middle of a city we're besieging?"
"You think it's a good idea," Vin said, smiling impishly.
"It's a crazy idea," Elend said. "I'm emperor - I shouldn't be sneaking into the enemy city so I can go to a party."
Vin narrowed her eyes, staring at him.
"I will admit, however," Elend said, "that the concept does have considerable charm. — Brandon Sanderson

Wayne: You wanna know why I really came to find you?
Waxilliam: Why?
Wayne: I thought of you happy in a comfy bed, resting and relaxing, spending the rest of your life sipping tea and reading papers while people bring you food and maids rub your toes and stuff.
Waxilliam: And?
Wayne: And I just couldn't leave you to a fate like that ... I'm too good a friend to let a mate of mine die in such a terrible situation.
Waxilliam: Comfortable?
Wayne: No. Boring. — Brandon Sanderson

Thank you. For being willing to talk. For not turning me in. For ... being you.'
'I'm pretty good at being me,' I said. 'I've had all these years to practice
I hardly ever get it wrong these days. — Brandon Sanderson

People today ... it seems they are good, or sometimes evil, mostly by inertia, not by choice. — Brandon Sanderson

God is the creator of all things, right? He is the force that dictates the laws of the universe, and is therefore the ultimate source of ethics. He is absolute morality ...
We claim to be doing good. But the Lord Ruler - as God - defines what is good. So by opposing him we're actually evil. But since he's doing the wrong thing, does evil actually count as good in this case? — Brandon Sanderson

Never trust a man who tells you good news. — Brandon Sanderson

He'd drafted a law requiring that all people of less than average intellect be required to commit suicide for the good of the city. It had seemed reasonable. — Brandon Sanderson

You hate change. I hate it too. But things can't stay the same- and that's well, for when nothing changes in your life, it's as good as being dead — Brandon Sanderson

You like lies?" Shallan asked. "Good lies," Pattern said. "That lie. Good lie." "What makes a lie good?" Shallan asked, taking careful notes, recording Pattern's exact words. "True lies." "Pattern, those two are opposites." "Hmmmm . . . Light makes shadow. Truth makes lies. Hmmmm. — Brandon Sanderson

I have found that I really am different. There's nobody like me. And not that it's good or bad. — Derek Sanderson

I try to avoid having thoughts. They lead to other thoughts, and - if you're not careful - those lead to actions. Actions make you tired. I have this on rather good authority from someone who once read it in a book. — Brandon Sanderson

You aren't insane, then."
"Heavens no," I said. I eyed her. "You don't accept that."
You see people that aren't there Mr. Leeds. It's a difficult fact to get around.
"And, yet, I live a good life," I said. "Tell me. Why would you consider me insane, but the man who can't hold a job, who cheats on his wife, who can't keep his temper in check, you call him sane? — Brandon Sanderson

So the gods," Moash said, nursing his own drink, "were pleased that you solved problems on your own ... by going to other gods and begging them for help instead?"
"Hush," Rock said. "Is good story. — Brandon Sanderson

You're too untrusting, Susebron wrote. I keep telling you. My priests are good people. She regarded him flatly, catching his eyes. Except for removing my tongue, he admitted. — Brandon Sanderson

We remember the good times and the bad ones, forgetting that most times are neither good nor bad. They just are. — Brandon Sanderson

Oh, hell," Kelsier said. "There's actually a God?"
"Yes."
Kelsier decked him.
It was a good, clean punch, thrown from the shoulder while he brought his other arm up to block a counter strike. — Brandon Sanderson

I know he isn't a serious candidate for anything long-term. Or even medium-term. But maybe that's precisely why he's so attractive to me, right now. Unsuitable is good. Temporary is good ... — Catherine Sanderson

Wit was insulting each person as they stepped onto the island. "Brightness Marakal! What a
disaster that hairstyle is; how brave of you to show it to the world. Brightlord Marakal, I wish you'd
warned us you were going to attend; I'd have forgone supper. I do so hate being sick after a full meal.
Brightlord Cadilar! How good it is to see you. Your face reminds me of someone dear to me."
"Really?" wizened Cadilar said, hesitating.
"Yes," Wit said, waving him on, "my horse. Ah, Brightlord Neteb, you smell unique today - did you
attack a wet whitespine, or did one just sneeze on you? Lady Alami! No, please, don't speak - it's much
easier to maintain my illusions regarding your intelligence that way. And Brightlord Dalinar." Wit nodded
to Dalinar as he passed. "Ah, my dear Brightlord Taselin. Still engaged in your experiment to prove a
maximum threshold of human idiocy? Good for you! Very empirical of you. — Brandon Sanderson

My father used to say that there are two kinds of people in the world," Kaladin whispered, voice raspy. "He said there are those who take lives. And there are those who save lives."
Syl frowned, cocking her head. This kind of conversation confused her; she wasn't good with abstractions.
"I used to think he was wrong. I thought there was a third group. People who killed in order to save." He shook his head. "I was a fool. There is a third group, a big one, but it isn't what I thought."
"What group?" she said, sitting down on his knee, brow scrunched up.
"The people who exist to be saved or to be killed. The group in the middle. The ones who can't do anything but die or be protected. The victims. That's all I am. — Brandon Sanderson

The right belief is like a good cloak, I think. If it fits you well, it keeps you warm and safe. The wrong fit however, can suffocate. — Brandon Sanderson

Well, I didn't wanna kill someone in cold blood - " "That's good, I suppose." " - but there weren't no fire around to light her with first. — Brandon Sanderson

Sometimes doing things we used to do reminds us of who we used to be, and not always in good ways. — Brandon Sanderson

No, not me.I'm not a good person or a bad person.I'm just here to kill things. — Brandon Sanderson

Generally people don't recomend this type of book at all. It is far too interesting. Perhaps you have had other books recomended to you. Perhaps, even, you have been given books by friends, parents, teachers, then told that these books are the type you have to read. Those books are invariably described as "important"- which in my experience, pretty much means that they're boring. (words like meaningful and thoughtful are other good clues.) — Brandon Sanderson

How can she believe?" Vivenna said. Denth shrugged. "Seems like a good enough religion to me. I mean, you can go and see her gods. Talk to them, watch them shine. It isn't all that tough to understand. — Brandon Sanderson

Good lad. You did well, Spook. I'm proud. — Brandon Sanderson

You're a good shot, it doesn't matter how much stopping power a gun has." "If you're a good shot," I said solemnly, raising a hand to my breast, "you're probably already using a rifle. — Brandon Sanderson

You know, I was a nerdy kid going through high school, and then I got to college and that all vanished. I mean, a lot of my good friends - when we were in high school, we would never have been able to hang out together because we were in such different cliques or whatever. Now, who cares? — Brandon Sanderson

Doesn't that bother you?" Kaladin asked. "That you might be a creation of human perception?" "You're a creation of your parents. Who cares how we were born? I can think. That's good enough. — Brandon Sanderson

Maybe you should spend a little less time with your thing and more with your gun." "Now that sounded dirty." "Good. I hate being crass by accident. — Brandon Sanderson

Wayne was awakened quite rough-like, in a manner unbefitting his grand dreams, in which he was king of the dogs. Had a crown shaped like a bowl and everything. He blinked his eyes, feeling nice and warm, and got hit with a blast of air. Drowsy, he remembered he was flying in some kind of rusting airship with a fellow what had no face. And that was almost as good as that dog thing. — Brandon Sanderson

Marry me." I said.
She lowered her teacup, shaking slightly, to the saucer. "Aren't you going to get down on one knee?"
I got down on one knee and took her hand.
"Will you marry me, Kate?"
You can't propose properly without a ring." She said.
I reached into my pocket and took out James Sanderson's ring, which I'd picked up off the floor of the Starclimber when we'd crash landed.
"That's a nice looking ring." said Kate with a grin.
"Cost a fortune." I said. "And now, for the third time. Kate de Vries, will you marry me?"
She leaned forward and took my face in her hands and kissed me.
"Yes," "Yes, and yes and yes. But it will probably be terrible."
"Probably," I agreed.
"Honestly," she sighed, "I don't know what kind of life we'll have together, with me always flying off in one direction and you in the other."
I smiled. "It's a good thing the world's round," I said. — Kenneth Oppel

Vin shook her head. "No, not me. I'm not a good person or a bad person. I'm just here to kill things."
OreSeur watched her for a moment, then settled back down. "Regardless," he said, "you are not my worst master. That is, perhaps, a compliment among our people. — Brandon Sanderson

If there was one thing Kelsier was good at, it was lying to himself. — Brandon Sanderson

I'm going to destroy you, little man!" Sourcefield yelled after me. "I'll rip you apart like a piece of tissue paper in a hurricane!"
"Wow," I said, reaching an intersection and taking cover by an old mailbox.
"What?" Tia asked.
"That was a really good metaphor. — Brandon Sanderson

The world would find them anyway. It was good at these kinds of games. — Brandon Sanderson

Yes, I could have traveled quickly. But all men have the same ultimate destination. Whether we find our end in a hallowed sepulcher or a pauper's ditch, all save the Heralds themselves must dine with the Nightwatcher. 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. Is it 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 Monarch must understand this; he must not become so focused on what he wishes to accomplish that he diverts his gaze from the path he must take to arrive there. — Brandon Sanderson

He was honest," Wayne said. "I got a sense for that sort of thing." He sneezed. "You believed that Lessie really was a dancer, the first time we met her," Waxillium said, rising. "That's different. She was a woman. Good at lying, they are. The God Beyond made'm that way." "I'm ... not certain how I should take that," Marasi said. "With a pinch of copper," Waxillium said. "And a healthy dose of skepticism. Just like anything Wayne says. — Brandon Sanderson

Most people, they didn't understand hats, and Wayne didn't really blame them. Until you'd had a good, lucky hat, you wouldn't understand the value of it. — Brandon Sanderson

Good men don't become legends. — Brandon Sanderson

But the Almighty determines what is right!"
"Must someone, some unseen thing, declare what is right for it to be right? I believe that my own morality - which answers only to my heart - is more sure and true than the morality of those who do right only because they fear retribution."
"But that is the soul of the law," the king said, sounding confused. "If there is no punishment, there can only be chaos."
"If there were no law, some men would do as they wish, yes," Jasnah said. "But isn't it remarkable that, given the chance for personal gain at the cost of others, so many people choose what is right?"
"Because they fear the Almighty."
"No," Jasnah said. "I think something innate in us understands that seeking the good of society is usually best for the individual as well. Humankind is noble, when we give it the chance to be. That nobility is something that exists independently of any god's decree. — Brandon Sanderson

A man can force himself to hate if he wishes, especially if he convinces himself that it is for a higher good." "The oppression of the few brings salvation to the many?" Omin asked, a slight smile on his face, as if he found the concept ridiculous. "You'd best not mock, Arelene," Hrathen warned. "You have few options, and we both know the least painful one will require — Brandon Sanderson

Noal nodded to one of the corridors 'These corridors are narrow. Good choke points. A man could stand there and only have to fight one or two at a time. He'd last maybe a few minutes ...
'Thom, you're in no shape to fight. Mat, you're the one who's luck can find a way out. Neither of you can stay, but I can. — Brandon Sanderson

I thought I knew you," she snapped. "I thought you were a good man, down deep"
Cett shook his head. "The good men are all dead, Allrianne. They died inside that city. — Brandon Sanderson

Hey!' I called with an annoyed voice. 'Charles!'
The little Pteradactyl looked up. 'Ah, my good friend!'
'What about the chaos?' I demanded.
'Done!' Charles said.
'We each moved six books out of their proper places,' called George the Stegosaurus. 'It will take them days to find them all and put them back.'
'Though we did put them into place backward,' Charles said. 'You know, so they could be seen more easily. We wouldn't want it to be too hard.'
'Too hard?' I asked, stupefied. 'Charles, these are the people who were going to kill you and bury your bones in an archaeological dig!'
'Well, that's no reason to be uncivilized!' Charles said. — Brandon Sanderson

You have to learn when to care, son. His father's voice. And when to let go. You'll grow calluses. He never had. Storm him, he never had. It was why he'd never made a good surgeon. He couldn't lose patients. — Brandon Sanderson

You had to adapt. Move. Change. That was good, but it could also threaten identity, connection, and sense of purpose. — Brandon Sanderson

It's good by comparison only! Yes, there are worse places, but so long as this hellhole is considered the ideal, we'll never get anywhere. We cannot let them convince us this is normal! — Brandon Sanderson

It was his ability to trust," she said. "It was the way that he made good people into better people, the way that he inspired them. His crew worked because he had confidence in them - because he respected them. And, in return, they respected each other. — Brandon Sanderson

And don't waste time worshipping Harmony. Doing good was the worship. — Brandon Sanderson

Laugh when good things happen. Laugh when bad things happen. Laugh when life is so plain boring that you can't find anything amusing about it beyond the fact that it's so utterly unamusing. — Brandon Sanderson

Reason like a sphere? What type of reasoning does a wooden sphere do?"
"The circular type, I should think. And, by coincidence, it is my favorite type as well. Perhaps that's why I'm so good at the game. — Brandon Sanderson

Well," she said, "I should think it would do every man good to have a wife who isn't as in awe of him as everyone else is. Somebody has to keep you humble. — Brandon Sanderson

Good men don't become legends," he said quietly.
"Good men don't need to become legends." She opened her eyes, looking up at him. "They just do what's right anyway. — Brandon Sanderson

A rifle is elegant. It's an extension of your will. Take aim, squeeze the trigger, make things happen. In the hands of an expert with stillness inside of him, there's nothing more deadly than a good rifle. — Brandon Sanderson

Those mountains to the right," Waxillium said, pointing. "Those are some taller peaks than the ones we've been passing."
"Yah!" Allik said. "Good eye, O Observan - "
"Stop with the titles."
"Yes, um, O Confusing ... er ... " Allik took a deep breath. — Brandon Sanderson

That was terribly thoughtless of you. What good is having friends if they don't put you in mortal peril every once in a while? — Brandon Sanderson

The difference between good and evil men is not found in the acts they are willing to commit - but merely in what name they are willing to commit them in. — Brandon Sanderson

I'm good at doing things I'm not supposed to, she said, then kicked the door open. — Brandon Sanderson

My chosen drink would be a Southern Comfort, lime and lemonade, a dry martini or a good red wine. — Nikki Sanderson

For the greater good." "That has been the excuse of tyrants throughout all time. — Brandon Sanderson

Sparks. Good metaphor. Walking on crumpled tinfoil. I'd have to remember that one. — Brandon Sanderson

Sazed?" she asked, peeking back out into the hallway.
The steward paused, turning back. "Yes, Mistress Vin?"
"Kelsier," Vin said quietly. "He's a good man, isn't he?"
Sazed smiled. "A very good man, Mistress. One of the best I've known."
Vin nodded slightly. "A good man..." she said softly. "I don't think I've ever known one of those before. — Brandon Sanderson

Doesn't matter how good your bullets are if you don't aim carefully. — Brandon Sanderson

What is the good of faith if this is the result? A city full of people misinterpreting their god's commands? A world of ash and pain and death and sorrow? — Brandon Sanderson

There aren't any answers to be found. There are no good choices. Submissiveness to a tyrant or chaos and suffering. — Brandon Sanderson

Megan looked at me and blushed. A blush looked really good on her. Of course, so would soup, mud, or elephant earwax. Megan on a bad day outshined anyone else I'd ever known. — Brandon Sanderson

Once one becomes a man, he can and must make his own decisions. But I do offer warning. Even a good thing can become destructive if taken to excess. — Brandon Sanderson

Have you no thoughts on the matter?" Blushweaver finally asked.
"I try to avoid having thoughts. They lead to other thoughts, and-if you're not careful-those lead to actions.
Actions make you tired. I have this on rather good authority from someone who once read it in a book."
Blushweaver sighed. "You avoid thinking, you avoid me, you avoid effort ... is there anything you don't
avoid?"
"Breakfast. — Brandon Sanderson

Oi," Wayne said, hustling up beside him. "A good plan that one was, eh?"
"It was the same plan you always have," Wax said. "The one where I get to be the decoy."
"Ain't my fault people like to shoot at you, mate," Wayne said as they reached the coach. "You should be happy; you're usin' your talents, like me granners always said a man should do."
"I'd rather not have 'shootability' be my talent."
"Well, you gotta use what you have," Wayne said, leaning against the side of the carriage as Cob the coachman opened the door for Wax. "Same reason I always have bits of rat in my stew. — Brandon Sanderson

A good crewleader is always sure of himself, even when he isn't. Especially when he isn't. — Brandon Sanderson

That's exactly the problem. Everyone's convinced that their lives are over just because their hearts stopped beating." "That's usually a pretty good indication, sule," Galladon said dryly. — Brandon Sanderson

You haven't lost your wits, have you?" Lopen asked, eyeing the bones. "Because if you have, I've got a cousin who makes this drink for people who've lost their wits, and it might make you better, sure." "If I'd lost my wits," Kaladin said, walking over to a pool of still water to wash off the carapace helm, "would I say that I had?" "I don't know," Lopen said, leaning back. "Maybe. Guess it doesn't matter if you're crazy or not." "You'd follow a crazy man into battle?" "Sure," Lopen said. "If you're crazy, you're a good type, and I like you. Not a killing-people-in-their-sleep type of crazy. — Brandon Sanderson

Attacking a provincial lord in his manor house, surrounded by guards ... Honestly, Kell, I'd nearly forgotten how foolhardy you can be.
"Foolhardy?" Kelsier asked with a laugh. "that wasn't foolhardy - that was just a small diversion. You should see some of the things I'm planning to do!
Dockson stood for a moment then he laughed too. "By the Lord Ruler, it's good to have you back, kell! I'm afraid I've grown rather boring during the last few years"
"We'll fix that" Kelsier promised. — Brandon Sanderson

A good king is one who is trusted by his people- and one who deserves that trust. — Brandon Sanderson

Of course not. I'd have shot you right in the head, Wayne."
"You're a good friend," Wayne said. "Thanks, Wax."
"You're the only person I know that I can cheer up by promising to kill him. — Brandon Sanderson

Galladon paused for a moment, then laughed. "Does nothing frighten you, sule?"
"Actually, pretty much everything here does - I'm just good at ignoring the fact
that I'm terrified. If I ever realize how scared I am, you'll probably find me trying to hide under those cobblestones over there. — Brandon Sanderson

Tantrums are a noble and time-tested strategy,she said airily. Particularly if you have a good set of lungs and are facing down a crotchety old priest. I know Stewart; he always bends if you make enough noise. — Brandon Sanderson

That was a tall order for Ivy. Sarcasm was kind of her native tongue, though she was fluent in "stern disappointment" and "light condescension" as well. She was also a good friend. Well, imaginary friend. — Brandon Sanderson

She remembered Kelsier, standing boldly before a small group of thieves, proclaiming that they would
overthrow the Lord Ruler and free the empire. We're thieves, he'd said. And we're extraordinarily
good ones. We can rob the unrobbable and fool the unfoolable. We know how to take an
incredibly large task and break it down to manageable pieces, then deal with each of those pieces.
That day, when he'd written up the team's goals and plans on a small board, Vin had been amazed by
how possible he had made an impossible task seem. That day, a little bit of her had begun to believe that
Kelsier could overthrow the Final Empire. — Brandon Sanderson

Shai's Uncle Won had taught her that being bested was a rule of life. No matter how good you were, someone was better. Live by that knowledge, and you would never grow so confident that you became sloppy. Last — Brandon Sanderson

More wine," Lightsong said, raising his cup.
"You can't get drunk, Your Grace," Llarimar noted. "Your body is immune to all toxins."
"I know," Lightsong said as a lesser servant filled his cup. "But trust me - I'm quite good at pretending. — Brandon Sanderson

Vin, Vin. Why can't you see? This isn't about good or evil. Morality doesn't even enter into it. Good men will kill as quickly for what they want as evil men - only the things they want are different. — Brandon Sanderson

He is a good man - despite it all, he is a good man. A sacrificing man. In truth, all of his actions - all of the deaths, destructions, and pains that he has caused - have hurt him deeply. All of these things were, in truth, a kind of sacrifice for him. — Brandon Sanderson

It's good for you to think of this, son. Ponder. Worry. Stay up nights, frightened for the casualties of your ideology. It will do you good to realize the price of fighting. — Brandon Sanderson

No matter how good you were, someone was better. Live by that knowledge, and you would never grow so confident that you became sloppy. — Brandon Sanderson

Philosophy? What good is that?" Isn't it the art of saying nothing with as many words as possible? — Brandon Sanderson

They tried boiling books, but that didn't work very well."
"I'm surprised they haven't tried boiling one another."
"Oh, it's been tried," Galladon said. "Fortunately. something happens to us
during the Shaod - apparently the flesh of a dead man doesn't taste too good.
Kolo? In fact, it's so violently bitter that no one can keep it down."
"It's nice to see that cannibalism has been so logically ruled out as an option," Raoden said dryly — Brandon Sanderson

Cody had said it was magic, and had told me not to ask any questions lest I anger the wee daemons inside who make the gloves work and our coffee taste good — Brandon Sanderson

Was there no hope for men? They killed those they should have loved. What good was it to fight, what good was it to win, if there was no difference between ally and enemy? What was victory? Meaningless. — Brandon Sanderson

Remember why we live. Remember warmth, remember good food. Remember friends, and song, and evenings spent around the hearth. — Brandon Sanderson