Author of quotes: Lois McMaster Bujold

It is important that someone celebrate our existence. People are the only mirror in which we see ourselves. The scope of all values. All the virtues and all the vices in people. In the Universe, as such, they are not. Solitary confinement is a punishment in any culture.

Did you happen to see handing out the alms of a man surrounded by a crowd of hungry beggars? They hover around him like a hurricane, and let every man individually weak, together they are strong and intimidating. "Let us give, for we are starving!" Just how much would you do given, till he should pay all that you have, it still won't be enough; they can tear you to pieces and devour, but still not satisfied.

... Guff hides dangerous secrets better than silence.

...We should not be particularly confident about his future. What we don't know much more than what we know, and the future certainly will not cease to amaze us.

A miracle of physics, turned into an instrument of torture.

Intelligence, devoid of love and fear, might find what is happening very interesting.

A role is a mask, into which we slowly grow real flesh.

The difference between torture and humiliation in the true complicity of the victim.

Love of life is not something you can learn, but it can be picked up, just the infection. To pick up from someone who have it.

He again became calm, and that could mean anything from a furious boredom to total rage.

Songs and poems are composed of the same material as that of the soul; they penetrate from one world to another almost seamlessly.

... the gatekeeper of the Lord ought not every time we run to him with a question, to put or send on the good health of a visitor, whether in silks or in rags; otherwise the Lord himself might be standing at the gate. The gatekeeper should be able to judge for himself.

But still, how the gods respond to prayers? The number of prayers do not count, but miracles are extremely rare. Perhaps the gods dump their work on others.

Saying that you can't solve the problem, running from it <...>. But this is far from the truth. There are problems that can be solved only by running away from them.