“Because sometimes the best leaders are the ones who have no interest in leading. Those are often the ones who are most interested in doing what is right, not what is popular.”
“It takes a lot of courage to choose to do nothing when you aren’t certain of the outcome.”
“Everyone at some point is afraid of making the wrong choice.”
“A cage that cannot be seen is no less there than if the walls were made of steel.”
“Almost all the United Commonwealth presidents have been female. It has been argued that women are less aggressive, more maternal, and thus more focused on the well-being of the country's people. Less focused on politics or power.”
“In mythology, lightning represents either the loss of ignorance or punishment for those who overstep their bounds. I used two bolts since we intend to do both.”
“Thinking something is true doesn’t make it so. Perception is almost as important as reality.”
“Government isn’t always just, and it isn’t always fair. But it should be.”
“Worrying about the past won’t help. I can only deal with the present.”
“Even where the soil was most corrupt, the willow found a way to survive.”
“Yes, lives were saved, but what about the lives taken? History says that progress often requires sacrifice, but what kind of progress can we claim when it is built on the lives of the citizens it is supposed to aid?”
“History shows that it takes only a spark to start a fire that cannot be easily checked. The Seven Stages of War started with the outrage of one leader.”
“Dad always said the best way to keep the mind healthy is to make sure the body is strong.”
“Just make sure you put the books back where you found them when you’re done, or your fellow students will get testy.”
“Revitalizing the earth is an important job. One I admire. I might even be happy to consider it, if I didn’t kill every plant I touched.”
“Thinking something is true doesn’t make it so. Perception is almost as important as reality. The”
“the best leaders are the ones who have no interest in leading. Those are often the ones who are most interested in doing what is right, not what is popular.”
“My desire to help upgrade the communications system from our country’s limited use of pulse radios to a sophisticated network that would be available to every citizen. My excitement about new energy sources that would better power our lights and other devices. My absolute belief that I can make a difference in the technological future of the United Commonwealth.”
“But every year, there are a few from the less influential neighborhoods. They can be the most dangerous. They fought hard to get where they are. They won’t be pushed aside without a fight. More important, don’t show anyone if you are afraid. Government professors value students who can push aside their fear. Everyone at some point is afraid of making the wrong choice”
“Because sometimes the best leaders are the ones
who have no interest in leading. Those are often the ones who are most interested in doing what is right, not what is popular.”
“History shows that it takes only a spark to start a fire that cannot be easily checked.”
“Those who depend fully on another person’s knowledge to decide what is possible are easily manipulated. The most effective leaders utilize experts from all fields, but rely on none when it comes to making a decision.”
“No matter how smart our leaders are, there are problems they cannot solve. This is one of them.”
“It takes a lot of courage to choose to do nothing when you aren’t certain of the outcome. We believe this is an important lesson to impart to all University students and one many students find almost impossible to accept. I’m happy to learn that most on this team are more . . . open-minded.”
“This tragedy demonstrates better than any classroom lesson that leaders can never let their emotions get the better of them. Cool heads and calm logic must always prevail if we are to succeed in restoring our country to what it was before the Seven Stages of War.”
“More important, wearing your symbol demonstrates that you have accepted the future it represents.”
“The president wants me to learn that just because something is created by people in power doesn’t mean it is to be trusted.”
“The larger the population, the less our leaders feel personally accountable to each citizen under their care.”
“How easy it would be to let the emptiness swallow me. To find release from sadness at the bottom. To be welcomed by those I have lost and turn away from the problems I face now. But”
“Perhaps he has gotten this far based on people confusing bullying for strength of personality.”
“I jerk my head toward Thomas and immediately curse myself for trying to be a smartass. My head is not healthy enough for smartassery.”
“For once he didn't stop himself. The pressure of song was too strong, the need for distraction too great. Then he found that the music caged behind his closed teeth was the melody Kestrel had played for him months ago. He felt the sensation of it, low and alive on his mouth.
For a moment, he imagine it wasn't the melody that touched his lips, but Kestrel.”
“Let the gods into your life and you rapidly lose faith in the natural laws.”
“Crime reporting was aggressive in Richmond, an old Virginia city of 220,000, which last year was listed by the FBI as having the second-highest homicide rate per capita in the United States. It wasn’t uncommon for forensic pathologists from the British Commonwealth to spend a month at my office to learn more about gunshot wounds. It wasn’t uncommon for career cops like Pete Marino to leave the madness of New York or Chicago only to find Richmond was worse.”
“Do you ever miss anything?'
Perry smiled. 'You, all the time.”
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