Jasnah Kholin/Quotes
Shallan: "I have kept a journal since I was a child, in order to practice my writing skills. "
Jasnah: "Congratulations. Should I need someone to write a treatise on their stuffed pony or give an account of an interesting pebble they discovered, I shall send for you. "
- ―Shallan and Jasnah[1]
“Ignorance is hardly unusual, Miss Davar. The longer I live, the more I come to realize that it is the natural state of the human mind. There are many who will strive to defend its sanctity and then expect you to be impressed with their efforts. ”
—Jasnah to Shallan[1]
“...a woman's mind is her most precious weapon. It must not be employed clumsily or prematurely. Much like the aforementioned knife to the back, a clever gibe is most effective when it is unanticipated. ”
—Jasnah to Shallan[2]
“Youthful immaturity is one of the cosmere’s great catalysts for change... To be young is about action. To be a scholar is about informed action. ”
—Jasnah to Shallan[2]
“Too many scholars think of research as purely a cerebral pursuit. If we do nothing with the knowledge we gain, then we have wasted our study. Books can store information better than we can—what we do that books cannot is interpret. So if one is not going to draw conclusions, then one might as well just leave the information in the texts. ”
—Jasnah to Shallan[2]
“I always forgive curiosity, Your Majesty. It strikes me as one of the most genuine of emotions. ”
—Jasnah to Taravangian[2]
“A true scholar must not close her mind on any topic, no matter how certain she may feel. Just because I have not yet found a convincing reason to join one of the devotaries does not mean I never will. Though each time I have a discussion like the one today, my convictions grow firmer. ”
—Jasnah to Shallan[2]
“When we are young, we want simple answers. There is no greater indication of youth, perhaps, than the desire for everything to be as it should. As it has ever been. The older we grow, the more we question. We begin to ask why. And yet, we still want the answers to be simple. We assume that the people around us—adults, leaders—will have those answers. Whatever they give often satisfies us. ... Indeed, it seems to me that aging, wisdom, and wondering are synonymous. The older we grow, the more likely we are to reject the simple answers. Unless someone gets in our way and demands they be accepted regardless. ”
—Jasnah to Shallan[3]
“You will find wise men in any religion, Shallan, and good men in every nation. Those who truly seek wisdom are those who will acknowledge the virtue in their adversaries and who will learn from those who disabuse them of error. All others—heretic, Vorin, Ysperist, or Maakian—are equally closed-minded. ”
—Jasnah to Shallan[4]
“Let the Vorin believe as they wish—the wise among them will find goodness and solace in their faith; the fools would be fools no matter what they believed. ”
—Jasnah to Shallan[4]
“Power is an illusion of perception...Some kinds of power are real -- power to command armies, power to soulcast. These come into play far less often than you would think. ”
—Jasnah to Shallan[5]
“Most threats to a dynasty came from within. ”
—Jasnah Kholin[6]