Quotes about ruling
page 8

“Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems”

René Descartes (1596–1650) French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist

“Make your own rules or be a slave to another man's.”

William Blake (1757–1827) English Romantic poet and artist

“The stars up close to the moon were pale; they got brighter and braver the farther they got out of the circle of light ruled by the giant moon”

Ken Kesey book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Source: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Star, Light

“… you spend a much larger part of your life being old, not young. Rules change along the way. The first things to go are those things you thought were eternal.”

Douglas Coupland (1961) Canadian novelist, short story writer, playwright, and graphic designer

Life, Way, Change, Parting

“I learned the bad guys are not always bad, the good guys are not always good, and to quote Captain Barbossa, the parameters are like rules, mostly guidelines. And that it takes a little bit of bad boy to fight the evil in the world.
--Terri Mitchell”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Phantom in the Night

World, Guy, Quotes, Boy

“And the seventh rule is if this is your first night at fight club, you have to fight.”

Chuck Palahniuk Fight Club

Source: Fight Club

Fight, Night

“Excuse me, but aren't boys forbidden on this floor?' Macey said on our way to the suite.

'That's the advantage of being the only boy,' he (Zach) said. 'No one actually comes right out and makes rules like that.”

Ally Carter Out of Sight, Out of Time

Source: Out of Sight, Out of Time

Way, Boy

“All of us have our own inner fears, beliefs, opinions. These inner assumptions rule and govern our lives. A suggestion has no power in and of itself. its power arises from the fact that you accept it mentally.”

Joseph Murphy The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

Source: The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

Fear

“New rules. If you are smart enough to live, you won’t hit Charles’s mate in front of his father.”

Patricia Briggs book Cry Wolf

Source: Cry Wolf

“Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.”

Steven Pressfield (1943) United States Marine

Source: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles

Feeling, Soul

“I love you, man. You rule! Thanks for the food. It touches me deep in my tender place. (Sway)
I don’t want to know nothing about your tender place, you freak. (Devyn)”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Born of Ice

Love, Food

“There are people who observe the rules of honor as one observes the stars, from a great distance.”

Victor Hugo book Les Misérables

Source: Les Miserables

People, Star

“Forget all the rules. Forget about being published. Write for yourself and celebrate writing.”

Melinda Haynes (1955) American writer

Forgetting

“There are a few absolute no-brainer rules in my world. Real close to the top of this list is: if an Unseelie prince runs from it, I'm going to run from it, too. [said Dani]”

Karen Marie Moning (1964) author

Source: Iced

World

“They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions… but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”

Harper Lee book To Kill a Mockingbird

Pt. 1, ch. 11
Atticus Finch
Source: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Thinking, Personality

“Look well on this, my son," said the green-skinned man, "for one day I shall rule a clockwork kingdom of such beings, and you shall be its prince.”

Cassandra Clare book Clockwork Prince

Source: Clockwork Prince

“With love, there are no rules. The heart decides and what it decides is all that really matters.”

Paulo Coelho (1947) Brazilian lyricist and novelist

Love, Heart

“If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?”

Cormac McCarthy book No Country for Old Men

Source: No Country for Old Men (2005)

“There is always something particularly delightful about exceptions to a rule.”

Elizabeth Goudge book The Little White Horse

Source: The Little White Horse

“The rules of reason build towers that reach past the treetops. The rules of trust build towers that reach past the stars.”

Mary E. Pearson (1955) young-adult fiction writer

Source: The Heart of Betrayal

Star, Past

“Yes!” said Fang, punching the air. “Freaks rule.”

James Patterson (1947) American author

Source: The Angel Experiment

“The world today is ruled by harassed politicians absorbed in getting into office or turning out the other man so that not much room is left for debating the great issues on their merits”

Winston S. Churchill (1874–1965) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

World

“He does not rule us. No one can rule us. No one can rule anyone who does not first agree to the ruling." She smiled a trace at Aeriel and patted the little camp dog, which was whining for more tidbits. "One must rule oneself.”

Meredith Ann Pierce book The Darkangel

Source: The Darkangel

Smile, Dogs

“With the tools of democracy, democracy was murdered and lawlessness made "legal." Raw power ruled, and its only real goal was to destroy all other powers besides itself.”

Eric Metaxas (1963) American journalist

Source: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

Democracy

“Wizard's Fourth Rule
There is magic in sincere forgiveness; in the forgiveness you give, but more so in the forgiveness you receive.”

Terry Goodkind book Temple of the Winds

Source: Temple of the Winds

Forgiveness, Sincerity

“Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule — and both commonly succeed, and are right…The United States has never developed an aristocracy really disinterested or an intelligentsia really intelligent. Its history is simply a record of vacillations between two gangs of frauds.”

H.L. Mencken (1880–1956) American journalist and writer

222
1940s–present, Minority Report : H.L. Mencken's Notebooks (1956)
Source: Minority Report

Democracy, History, Intelligence, Fraud

“By This Axe I Rule!”

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) American author

"By This Axe I Rule!" (1967)
Variant: By This Axe I Rule!

“There should be a rule against your own inner monologue throwing around that much sarcasm.”

Jim Butcher book Ghost Story

Source: Ghost Story

“The problem is, hope is the thing that can’t be reined in by rules or pinned down by bitter experience. It’s a blessing and curse.”

Cinda Williams Chima (1952) Novelist

Source: Flamecaster

Hope, Problem

“What are the rules," The cop said.
"There are none." Vishous spread his stance and braced himself.
"Do whatever you want… but you have to break me. You've got to tear me apart.”

Jessica Bird (1969) U.S. novelist

Source: Lover Unleashed

Tear

“Democracy don't rule the world; you'd better get that in your head. This world is ruled by violence.”

Bob Dylan (1941) American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and artist

Song lyrics, Infidels (1983), Union Sundown

World, Democracy

“Rules and Things Number 63: Never, Ever Say Something Bad About Someone You Don't Know--Especially When You're Around a Bunch of Strangers. You Never Can Tell Who Might Be Kin to That Person or Who Might Be a Lip-Flapping, Big-Mouth Spy.”

Christopher Paul Curtis book Bud, Not Buddy

Source: Bud, Not Buddy

Personality

“Rule #3 - It's okay to believe yourself better than the rest of the planet, so long as you keep it to yourself.”

Bisco Hatori (1975) Japanese manga artist

Source: Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 6

“Science, like life, feeds on its own decay. New facts burst old rules; then newly divined conceptions bind old and new together into a reconciling law.”

William James The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy

Source: The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy

Life, Law, Science

“God, I hate rogue necromancers," said Magnus. "Why can't they just follow the rules?"
"Probably because the biggest rule is 'no necromancy'?" Emma suggested”

Cassandra Clare book Lady Midnight

Source: Lady Midnight

God, Hate

“Zsadist: I didn't make up the rules of this scenario
Wrath: You'll die if you go by yourself.
Zsadist: Well… I'm kind of ready to get off the ride.
Phury felt his skin get tight all over.”

Jessica Bird (1969) U.S. novelist

Source: Lover Awakened

“Rule One, boy: shoot first then ask questions
Rulw Two, Double tap just for good measure. Better safe then sorry. -Bubba”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Infinity

Boy, Question

“There are no rules in survival.”

Mary E. Pearson (1955) young-adult fiction writer

Source: The Heart of Betrayal

“Geniuses and supergeniuses always make their own rules on sex as on everything else; they do not accept the monkey customs of their lessers.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Friday

Source: Friday (1983), Ch. XXI, p. 214

Sex

“Of course it doesn't make sense." Lady Wendall said. "The rules of society rarely do.”

Patricia C. Wrede (1953) author

Source: Magician's Ward

Sense

“Accident ruled every corner of the universe except the chambers of the human heart.”

David Guterson book Snow Falling on Cedars

Source: Snow Falling on Cedars (1994), Ch. 32, last page.

Universe, Heart

“Jenks squinted at me, and when Trent nodded, the pixy gestured sourly to Bis to get on with it. A four inch man ruled us all.”

Kim Harrison (1966) Pseudonym

Source: Ever After

“I do not believe in the God of theology who rewards good and punishes evil. My God created laws that take care of that. His universe is not ruled by wishful thinking, but by immutable laws.”

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity

Source: Attributed in posthumous publications, Einstein and the Poet (1983), p. 132
Variant transcription from "Death of a Genius" in Life Magazine: "I cannot accept any concept of God based on the fear of life or the fear of death, or blind faith. I cannot prove to you that there is no personal God, but if I were to speak of him I would be a liar."
Context: About God, I cannot accept any concept based on the authority of the Church. As long as I can remember, I have resented mass indoctrination. I do not believe in the fear of life, in the fear of death, in blind faith. I cannot prove to you that there is no personal God, but if I were to speak of him, I would be a liar. I do not believe in the God of theology who rewards good and punishes evil. My God created laws that take care of that. His universe is not ruled by wishful thinking, but by immutable laws.

God, Law, Thinking, Universe

“Geoff: We started off trying to set up a small anarchist community, but people wouldn't obey the rules.”

Alan Bennett (1934) English actor, author

Source: Getting On, Act 1 (1972).

People, Communication

“There is a rule for fantasy writers: The more truth you mix in with a lie, the stronger it gets.”

Diane Duane (1952) American author

Truth, Lie

“That’s what you taught me - we don’t have to accept destiny or Des Tiny. We can create our own future, all of us. We have the power to rule our lives - we just have to make the choice to use it.”

Darren Shan book Sons of Destiny

Source: Sons of Destiny

Future

“There is one rule, above all others, for being a man. Whatever comes, face it on your feet.”

Robert Jordan The Great Hunt

al'Lan Mandragoran
(15 November 1990)
Source: The Great Hunt

For Men

“If America could be, once again, a nation of self-reliant farmers, craftsmen, hunters, ranchers, and artists, then the rich would have little power to dominate others. Neither to serve nor to rule: That was the American dream.”

Edward Abbey (1927–1989) American author and essayist

Dreams

“Strength does not make one capable of rule; it makes one capable of service.”

Brandon Sanderson book The Way of Kings

Source: The Way of Kings

“As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is, the less mysterious it proves to be.”

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) Scottish physician and author

Source: The Complete Sherlock Holmes

“To be a princess is to play at life. To be a queen is to be a serious player… The purpose of life as a woman is to ascend to the throne and rule with heart.”

Marianne Williamson (1952) American writer

Life, Heart, Princess

“If you keep a gun in your purse, you get killed, because no woman can find anything in her purse in under twelve minutes. It's a rule.”

Laurell K. Hamilton (1963) Novelist

“Any fool can make a rule
And every fool will mind it.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) 1817-1862 American poet, essayist, naturalist, and abolitionist

February 3, 1860
Journals (1838-1859)
Source: http://thoreau.library.ucsb.edu/writings_journals_pdfs/J15f4-f6.pdf#page=289
Source: Journal #14

Fools

“I have only one rule in acting--trust the director, and give him heart and soul.”

Ava Gardner (1922–1990) American actress

Soul, Heart

“Urban survival rule 22: Never annoy an armed man.”

Kelley Armstrong book Bitten

Source: Bitten

“Rules of taste enforce structures of power.”

Susan Sontag (1933–2004) American writer and filmmaker, professor, and activist

“That one,"-he nodded toward the closed door-" will rule more than just Attolia before he is done. He is an Annux, a king of kings.”

Megan Whalen Turner The King of Attolia

Source: The King of Attolia

“Fairy tales have rules. You are a princess or you aren’t. You are pure at heart or you aren’t. If you are pure at heart, or lucky, you might catch a break.”

Richard Siken (1967) American poet

Heart, Princess

“In the animal kingdom, the rule is, eat or be eaten; in the human kingdom, define or be defined.”

Thomas Szasz (1920–2012) Hungarian psychiatrist

Source: The Second Sin (1973), p. 20.

Animals

“But sticking to rules just because they're there does not make them right. You need to learn when the rules should be broken.”

Ilsa J. Bick (1957) American writer

Source: Ashes

Learning

“The rationality of the ruled is always the weapon of the rulers.”

Zygmunt Bauman (1925–2017) Polish philosopher and sociologist

Source: Modernity and the Holocaust

“We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything.”

William Golding book Lord of the Flies

Source: Lord of the Flies

“I lay it down as a general rule, Harriet, that if a woman doubts as to whether she should accept a man or not, she certainly ought to refuse him.”

Jane Austen book Emma

Source: Emma

“Life is like music, it must be composed by ear, feeling and instinct, not by rule.”

Samuel Butler (1835–1902) novelist

Life, Music, Feeling, Cute

“Dad,” I said quietly, “I’ve always made it a rule in my life not to pick fights with children, cute animals, or ignorant old men. I will, however, make an exception for you if you ever touch or insult my wife again.”

Richelle Mead book Silver Shadows

Source: Silver Shadows

Life, Men, Children, Animals

“n the world, those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.”

Masashi Kishimoto (1974) Japanese manga artist

World

“He smiles at me, and I am suddenly seventeen again - the year I realize that love doesn't follow the rules, the year I understood that nothing is worth having so much as something unattainable”

Jodi Picoult My Sister's Keeper

Source: My Sister's Keeper

Love, Smile

“Shasana means rules someone else imposes on you. Anushasana means rules you impose on yourself.”

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (1956) spiritual leader

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

“The principle that the end justifies the means is and remains the only rule of political ethics; anything else is just a vague chatter and melts away between one’s fingers.”

Arthur Koestler book Darkness at Noon

Source: Darkness at Noon

“Prime numbers are what is left when you have taken all the patterns away. I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them.”

Mark Haddon book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Source: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Life, Thinking, Time

“You're dangerous."he says.
Why?"
Because you make me believe in the impossible."
— Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction)”

Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902) Suffragist and Women's Rights activist

“I know the difference between right and wrong. I understand the rules. But today I feel that the rules have been blurred, because today they were literally on my front doorstep.”

Cecelia Ahern (1981) Irish novelist

Source: Flawed

Feeling, Understanding

“Ask and you shall receive" is the rule, but you must learn how to ask and how to receive”

Gary Zukav (1942) American writer and revivalist

Learning

“Wizard's Tenth Rule
Willfully turning aside from the truth is treason to one's self.”

Terry Goodkind book Phantom

Source: Phantom

Truth

“Ishmael gave himself to the writing of it, and as he did so he understood this, too: that accident ruled every corner of the universe except the chambers of the human heart.”

David Guterson book Snow Falling on Cedars

Source: Snow Falling on Cedars

Universe, Heart

“Walls, towns, rules, and day-to-day life doesn't make us civilized… That's organization and ritual. Civilization lives in our hearts and heads or it doesn't exist at all.”

Jonathan Maberry book Dust & Decay

Source: Dust & Decay

Life, Heart

“If you can't solve a problem, it's because you're playing by the rules”

Paul Arden (1940–2008) writer

Source: It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be

Problem

“Traitor!" Hera shouted. "You meddlesome, D-list goddess! You aren't worthy to pour my wine, much less rule the world.”

Rick Riordan book The Lost Hero

Source: The Lost Hero

World, Wine

“Boys who spent their weekends making banana nut muffins did not, as a rule, excel in the art of hand-to-hand combat.”

David Sedaris book Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

Source: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

Art, Boy

“The Way of Mastery is to break all the rules—but you have to know them perfectly before you can do this; otherwise you are not in a position to transcend them.”

Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) poet, mountaineer, occultist

Source: Magical and Philosophical Commentaries on The Book of the Law

Way

“Rule number four for me as a writer? Plotlines are like sharks: They either keep moving or they die. ~J. R. Ward”

Jessica Bird (1969) U.S. novelist

Source: The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide

“Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can't build on it; it's only good for wallowing in.”

Katherine Mansfield book Je ne parle pas français

"Je ne parle pas français," http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/mansfield/bliss/bliss.html#francais from Bliss and Other Stories (1920) <br class="br">Variant: I have made it a rule of my life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy, and no one who intends to become a writer can afford to indulge in it. <br class="br">Context: I have made it a rule of my life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy, and no one who intends to become a writer can afford to indulge in it. You can't get it into shape; you can't build on it; it's only good for wallowing in.

Life