One of the great things about books is you can afford to do anything.
George R. R. MartinRead
...the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword." "...a ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Those in power must take responsibility for their actions and decisions.
This quote emphasizes the importance of accountability for leaders, suggesting that those who make decisions that affect life and death should be the ones to carry them out. It highlights the disconnect that can occur when rulers rely on others to execute their orders without understanding the weight of those decisions, ultimately calling for a more hands-on and responsible leadership approach.
Themes
ResponsibilityLeadershipAccountabilityPowerDecision-Making
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about ethical leadership, one might say, 'As George R. R. Martin reminds us, the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.'
More from George R. R. Martin
All quotes βI hate outlines. I have a broad sense of where the story is going; I know the end, I know the end of the principal characters, and I know the major turning points and events from the books, the climaxes for each book, but I don't necessarily know each twist and turn along the way. That's something I discover in the course of writing and that's what makes writing enjoyable. I think if I outlined comprehensively and stuck to the outline the actual writing would be boring.
George R. R. MartinRead
There is only one god and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: βNot today.
George R. R. MartinRead
I did not do it. Yet now I wish I had.β He turned to face the hall, that sea of pale faces. βI wish I had enough poison for you all. You make me sorry that I am not the monster you would have me be, yet there it is. I am innocent, but I will get no justice here.
George R. R. MartinRead
But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes, and she remembered what Lord Petyr had said to her, here in this very hall. 'Life is not a song, sweetling,' he'd told her, 'You may learn that one day to your sorrow.' In life, the monsters win, she told herself.
George R. R. MartinRead
I write from this tight third-person viewpoint, where each chapter is seen through the eyes of one individual character. When I'm writing that character, I become that character and identify with that character.
George R. R. MartinRead
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Man does not create gods, in spite of appearances. The times, the age, impose them on him.
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There is more than one kind of freedom," said Aunt Lydia. "Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it.
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