#ann

All human plans [are] subject to ruthless revision by Nature, or Fate, or whatever one preferred to call the powers behind the Universe. ↗

— Arthur C. Clarke

#mice-men #planning #plans #unpredictability #men

Those are brave men," he told Ser Balon in admiration. "Let's go kill them. ↗

— George R.R. Martin

#men

There are no men like me. There's only me. - The Kingslayer ↗

— George R.R. Martin

#kingslayer #men

The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley. An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy! (To A Mouse) ↗

— Robert Burns

#fate #men #mice #planning #plans

The greatest fools are ofttimes more clever than the men who laugh at them ↗

— George R.R. Martin

#storm-of-swords #tywin-lannister #men

At one time I had given much thought to why men were so very rarely capable of living for an ideal. Now I saw that many, no, all men were capable of dying for one. ↗

— Hermann Hesse

#hermann-hesse #ideals #war #men

Jaime smiled knowingly. Men will read all sorts of things into a knowing smile if you let them. ↗

— George R.R. Martin

#a-storm-of-swords #george-r-r-martin #jaime-lannister #men

What manner of men had lived in those days...who had so eagerly surrendered their sovereignty for a lie and a delusion? Why had they been so anxious to believe that the government could solve problems for them which had been pridefully solved, many times over, by their fathers? Had their characters become so weak and debased, so craven and emasculated, that offers of government dole had become more important than their liberty and their humanity? Had they not know that power delegated to the government becomes the club of tyrants? They must have known. They had their own history to remember, and the history of five thousand years. Yet, they had willingly and knowingly, with all this knowledge, declared themselves unfit to manage their own affairs and had placed their lives, which belonged to God only, in the hands of sinister men who had long plotted to enslave them, by wars, by "directives," by "emergencies." In the name of the American people, the American people had been made captive. ↗

— Taylor Caldwell

#freedom #politics #tyranny #freedom

He pushed himself to his feet. “Don’t lie, Sansa. I am malformed, scarred, and small, but…” she could see him groping “…abed, when the candles are blown out, I am made no worse than other men. In the dark, I am the Knight of Flowers.” He took a draught of wine. “I am generous. Loyal to those who are loyal to me. I’ve proven I’m no craven. And I am cleverer than most, surely wits count for something. I can even be kind. Kindness is not a habit with us Lannisters, I fear, but I know I have some somewhere. I could be… I could be good to you. ↗

— George R.R. Martin

#tyrion-lannister #men

King Drowden has given his men instructions to infiltrate the town, bribe townspeople for the secrets of their neighbors, steal the neighbors’ hidden treasures. Much more subtle than Drowden’s usual smash and burn technique. We do hope Drowden isn’t growing a brain. ↗

— Kristin Cashore

#council #katsa #letters #nander #po