Eldest Quotes

“A person may dislike his choice, but he will stand by it because, even in the worst circumstances, he believes that it was the best option available to him at the time.”

“Determination is as common among men who are dull and foolish as it is among those who are brilliant intellects. So, no, determination cannot be what we’re looking for.”

“No one thinks of himself as a villain . . . ”

“I won’t tell you what to believe, Eragon. It is far better to be taught to think critically and then be allowed to make your own decisions than to have someone else’s notions thrust upon you.”

“You cannot miss that which you have never had.”

“If any honor existed in war, he concluded, it was in fighting to protect others from harm.”

“Too many problems in this world are caused by men with noble dispositions and clouded minds.”

″‘How terrible,’ said Eragon, ‘to die alone, separate even from the one who is closest to you.‘”

“The answer is logic. Or, to put it another way, the ability to reason analytically. Applied properly, it can overcome any lack of wisdom, which one only gains through age and experience.”

“When you can have anything you want by uttering a few words, the goal matters not, only the journey to it.”

“Pure logic can lead you to conclusions that are ethically wrong, whereas if you are moral and righteous, that will ensure that you don’t act shamefully.”

“A negative outlook is more of a handicap than any physical injury.”

“Always it is thus with my new students, and especially with the human ones; the mind is the last muscle they train or use, and the one that they regard the least.”

“It’s better to be sworn to an honest fool than to a lying scholar.”

“Notice I didn’t specify what kind of doom, so no matter what happens, I predicted it. How very wise of me.”

“History provides us with numerous examples of people who were convinced that they were doing the right thing and committed terrible crimes because of it.”

“A good compromise leaves everyone angry.”

“On its own, being a decent person is no guarantee that you will act well, which brings us back to the one protection we have against demagogues, tricksters, and the madness of crowds . . . : clear and reasoned thinking.”

“Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn’t exist and never shall. There is only now.”

“They may fight with us, but they don’t fight for us.”

″‘With all your customs,’ Eragon risked saying, ‘it seems as though you’ve only made it easier to offend people.‘”

“Everyone dies alone, Eragon. Whether you are a king on a battlefield or a lowly peasant lying in bed among your family, no one can accompany you into the void.”

“Magic is the art of thinking, not strength or language . . . ”

“I would also contend that if you had to choose between giving a man a noble disposition or teaching him to think clearly, you’d do better to teach him to think clearly. Too many problems in this world are caused by men with noble dispositions and clouded minds.”

“And understanding begets empathy and compassion, even for the meanest beggar . . . ”