guarding Quotes

“There is no other way of guarding oneself from flatterers except letting men understand that to tell you the truth does not offend you.”

“Every man’s island, Jean Louise, every man’s watchman, is his conscience. There is no such thing as a collective conscious.”

“Among the great sheep for sacrifice Enkidu was their guard. A man, a leader, A hero.”

“We live in a world that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a great responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. The luxury of the blind. The luxury of not knowing what I know: That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and uncomprehensible to you, saves lives. You can’t handle it. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about, you want me on that wall. You need me there. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as a backbone to a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it. I’d prefer you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I’d suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post.”

“We are not inviting—we are guarded. Most of our energy is spent trying to hide our true selves, and control our worlds to have some sense of security.”

“The two families rode in silence through the deserted streets to the field he warned, ‘Remember not a word from any of you.’ The guard recognized him as the chief test pilot for the new spaceship. ‘My family and some friends are coming down to watch me take off,’ he told the guard.”

“Each year the Plumpsters came back to the marshes and mended their nest. Then Mrs. Plumpster settled down to lay her eggs, and Mr. Plumpster kept guard.”

“May the ground swallow me up, may old hags rattle my dry bones, and may I never more eat ice cream if I don’t guard this secret with my life.”