The Other World (1657)
Context: How do you think a spade, sword or dagger wounds us? Because the metal is a form of matter in which the particles are closer and more tightly bound together than those of your flesh. The metal forces flesh to yield to strength, just as a galloping squadron penetrates a battle line that is of much greater extent.
And why is a piece of hot metal hotter than a piece of burning wood? Because the metal contains more heat in a smaller volume. The particles in the metal are more compact than those in the wood.
“No matter how you spend your life, your wit will defend you more often than a sword. Keep it sharp!”
Source: The Name of the Wind (2007), Chapter 40, “On the Horns” (p. 290)
Context: Any student of mine must be able to defend his ideas against an attack. No matter how you spend your life, your wit will defend you more often than a sword. Keep it sharp!
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Patrick Rothfuss 236
American fantasy writer 1973Related quotes
“Watch your step. Keep your wits about you; you will need them.”
First lines, Ch. 1
The Crimson Petal and the White (2002)
Context: Watch your step. Keep your wits about you; you will need them. This city I am bringing you to is vast and intricate, and you have not been here before. You may imagine, from other stories you've read, that you know it well, but those stories flattered you, welcoming you as a friend, treating you as if you belonged. The truth is that you are an alien from another time and place altogether.
Source: Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics (1994), p. 302.
“You will never know how sharp a sword is unless it's drawn from its sheath”
“The trouble is if you don’t spend your life yourself, other people spend it for you.”
Source: Five Finger Exercise