George R. R. Martin Quotes

Power may be at the end of a gun, but sometimes it's also at the end of the shadow or the image of a gun.

Always remember the first rule of power tactics; power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.

Nobody is as powerful as we make them out to be.

Power resides where men believe power resides.

You can never know what is and what is not powerful, but you can always find out what the powerful people are scared of. A state like China looks so powerful, but they are so scared of the Internet, so the Internet is more powerful than them.

I think political people are afraid of me.

Power in Washington is simply the perception of power.

Power can shape 'truth,' but not forever.

When human beings say they have power, it always makes me laugh a little bit.

Everybody's trying to hold onto some shred of dignity in the process of it all, and, at the same time, never talking about how they don't have the power. No one has the power. So, you know, producers - we always think, "Well, producers are very powerful," but producers don't really have the power.

In real life, what scares me is politicians, corporations and people that think they know what the world should be.

Power is fortified not just by what it destroys, but also by what it creates. Not just by what it takes, but also by what it gives. And powerlessness reaffirmed not just by the helplessness of those who have lost, but also by the gratitude of those who have (or think they have) gained.

It's better to be loved than feared, but if you can't be loved, then fear will do.-Dino quoting Machiavelli

Power is founded upon opinion.

This is the power of the powerful to define, to structure, to say, 'This is the way the world works.' It's enormous power. Among the powers of the weak, I think the first one is the power not to believe the powerful.

All political power is primarily an illusion. Illusion. Mirrors and blue smoke, beautiful blue smoke rolling over the surface of highly polished mirrors, first a thin veil of blue smoke, then a thick cloud that suddenly dissolves into wisps of blue smoke, the mirrors catching it all, bouncing it back and forth.

He who has the bigger stick has the better chance of imposing his definitions of reality.

Lawyers may reason powerfully, but power settles most issues.

If power was an illusion, wasn't weakness necessarily one also?

Most human beings, though in varying degrees, desire to control, not only their own lives but also the lives of others

As you know, I don't believe in fear, just an invention by men so they get all the money and good jobs.

Fairy's side note: Even people who don't believe in magic really do.

Force rules the world-not opinion; but it is opinion that makes use of force.

Power is the ability to define phenomena, and make it act in a desired manner.

You see what power is holding someone else's fear in your hand and showing it to them.