Robert Jordan Quotes

Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking.

To rule without being felt…is the great mystery of policy.

Follow me, the wise man said, but he walked behind.

The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise.

The most important thing about power is to make sure you don't have to use it.

I am sometimes a fox and sometimes a lion. The whole secret of government lies in knowing when to be the one or the other.

Secrecy is the foundation of politics.

Official truths are often powerful illusions.

Deceive the rich and powerful if you will, but don't insult them.

A ruler must learn to be other than good.

I allow the public to believe that I have more influence with the King than I do in reality.

A statesman gains little by the arbitrary exercise of ironclad authority upon all occasions that offer, for this wounds the just pride of his subordinates, and thus tends to undermine his strength. A little concession, now and then, where it can do no harm is the wiser policy

The two maxims of any great man at court are, always to keep his countenance, and never to keep his word.

We've got to fool the fools, and plan the plans. We must rule the rules, got to stand the stands.

Never let anyone know what you're thinking - always know what the other thinks of you.

I think what we're seeing is that they're testing each other. Russia is testing us, we're testing them, it's part of just, you know, the new president Donald Trump coming in and President Vladimir Putin having to figure out his place.

A ruler must learn to persuade and not to compel.

Intellectuals may like to think of themselves as people who "speak truth to power" but too often they are people who speak lies to gain power.

In order to obtain and hold power, a man must love it.

Therefore the Sage, wishing to be above the people, must by his words put himself below them; wishing to be before the people, he must put himself behind them. In this way, though he has his place above them, the people do not feel his weight; though he has his place before them, they do not feel it as an injury. Therefore all mankind delight to exalt him, and weary of him not.

The orators and the despots have the least power in their cities ... since they do nothing that they wish to do, practically speaking, though they do whatever they think to be best.

Rules were made for fools to follow and wise men to be guided by.

It is a wise thing to be polite; consequently, it is a stupid thing to be rude. To make enemies by unnecessary and willful incivility, is just as insane a proceeding as to set your house on fire. For politeness is like a counter--an avowedly false coin, with which it is foolish to be stingy.

When you think about people, you give them power.

I don't think you fully appreciate the importance of Illusion in life, the Essential Nature of Lies and Deception of the body politic.