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Anime and Manga
Suzaku: The Geass command that compels me to live: it's screaming at me to run away! Is the Knight of One really that dangerous an opponent? I left my weakness!
Bismarck: Weakness?! You fool! What you call weakness... that was the source of your strength! Gentleness and compassion are what drove you! Take those away and there's nothing left but violence, which means... you will die here, Suzaku Kururugi.
Bismarck: Weakness?! You fool! What you call weakness... that was the source of your strength! Gentleness and compassion are what drove you! Take those away and there's nothing left but violence, which means... you will die here, Suzaku Kururugi.
Comic Books
"No. What is lost... can be found. Love will rise again. I will make it so... Thank you for this burden. For reminding me of what puts weight in my steps."
— Shining Knight, Demon Knights #6
"Listen, kid. I'd tell you that you have to let it go, but that's for idiots. The only people who can let stuff like that go are the ones who don't care, and you don't wanna be one of them."
— Gary Gaunt, Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes #21
"Standing by our principles in theory is easy. It's when we stand by them when we're tested that defines us. I will stand by mine."
— Superman, World of New Krypton
Fan Works
"He rose. Tentative paws pressed into the snow, melting it in a rush of heat, and with a lowered head he cautiously approached. The others growled low, threateningly, as she scratched behind his ear and she shushed them with an icy glare. His nose touched her palm. He was her favorite, but he didn't hunt as the others did. He would chase, and he appeared to enjoy it, but he never took the killing blow. He wouldn't challenge the others to take his rightful place in the upper echelons of the hierarchy. Timid. Quiet. Unrealized potential, and no matter what she did Lea could not bring it out. She had tried, a thousand different ways, she had tried."
— Bittersweet
, a The Dresden Files fic
, a The Dresden Files fic Film — Animated
Mirage: He's not weak, you know...
Syndrome: ...what?
Mirage: Valuing life is not "weakness".
Syndrome: Oh, hey... look, look... If you're talkin' about what happened in the containment unit, I had everything under control—
Mirage: And disregarding it is not strength.
Syndrome: ...what?
Mirage: Valuing life is not "weakness".
Syndrome: Oh, hey... look, look... If you're talkin' about what happened in the containment unit, I had everything under control—
Mirage: And disregarding it is not strength.
Film — Live-Action
"You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. You're all puppets, tangled in... strings."
— Ultron, Avengers: Age of Ultron
Henri Ducard: Your compassion is a weakness your enemies will not share.
Bruce Wayne: That's why it's so important. It separates us from them.
Bruce Wayne: That's why it's so important. It separates us from them.
"What makes me special is I'm my own man. When I started out, I said there were things I would do and things I wouldn't do. Lot of guys start out like that and a lot of them sell out along the way, but the more who fall the easier it gets. See, look, everybody compromises, everybody cheats, everybody uses magic. So they empty their ideals out of the pockets and get down to the job of sticking it to their neighbor before they stick it to them... because that's the way it's done. To all of which I say 'nuts'. My collar may be a little frayed and maybe I need a shoeshine... but nobody's got a mortgage on my soul. I own it. Free and clear."
— Phil Lovecraft, Cast a Deadly Spell
"I was guilty as sin, but Valentine couldn't prove it. And he was the rarest breed of law enforcement officer: the type who knew I was breaking the law, but wouldn't break it himself to bust me."
— Yuri Orlov on Agent Valentine, Lord of War
Bob Morton: What are your Prime Objectives?
RoboCop: Serve the public trust. Protect the innocent. Uphold the law.
RoboCop: Serve the public trust. Protect the innocent. Uphold the law.
Max Denbigh/C: You can't tell me an agent in the field can last long against all those drones and satellites.
M: Yes, you have information. You can find out all about a man, track him down, keep an eye on him. But you have to look him in the eye. All the tech you have can't help you with that. A license to kill also means a license not to kill.
M: Yes, you have information. You can find out all about a man, track him down, keep an eye on him. But you have to look him in the eye. All the tech you have can't help you with that. A license to kill also means a license not to kill.
— Spectre
"This office is not above the law."
— The Federation President, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Literature
Nanny Ogg: To tell you the honest truth, there's always been a bit of the dark in the Weatherwaxes, and that's where the trouble is. Look at old Alison Weatherwax.
Agnes: Who was she?
Nanny: Her own granny. Went to the bad, they say, just packed up one day and headed for Uberwald. And as for Esme's sister... Anyway, that's why she's always standin' behind herself and criticizin' what she's doing. Sometimes I reckon she's terrified she'll go bad without noticin'.
Agnes: Granny? But she's as moral as—
Nanny: Oh, yes, she is. But that's because she's got Granny Weatherwax glarin' over her shoulder the whole time.
Agnes: Who was she?
Nanny: Her own granny. Went to the bad, they say, just packed up one day and headed for Uberwald. And as for Esme's sister... Anyway, that's why she's always standin' behind herself and criticizin' what she's doing. Sometimes I reckon she's terrified she'll go bad without noticin'.
Agnes: Granny? But she's as moral as—
Nanny: Oh, yes, she is. But that's because she's got Granny Weatherwax glarin' over her shoulder the whole time.
Angleton: It seems I have not been truly myself for a long time.
Dominique: Do you want to be yourself?
Angleton: It would be less — limiting. Sometimes self-imposed limits make life more interesting, though.
Dominique: What would you do, if you weren't limited?
Angleton: I would be terrible.
Dominique: Do you want to be yourself?
Angleton: It would be less — limiting. Sometimes self-imposed limits make life more interesting, though.
Dominique: What would you do, if you weren't limited?
Angleton: I would be terrible.
453. Never compromise your integrity.
— Life's Little Instruction Book, Volume I
"Lancelot tried to have a Word. He considered it to be the most valuable of possessions. But he had an contradictory nature that was far from Holy. His Word was valuable to him, not only because he was Good, but also because he was Bad. It is the bad people that needs to have principles to restrain them."
— On Sir Lancelot, The Once and Future King
"It is time for us to fight, and we do so not because we seek the glory of men, but because the other options are worse. We follow the Codes not because they bring gain, but because we loathe the people we would otherwise become. We stand here on this battlefield alone because of who we are.
Death is the end of all men! What is the measure of him once he is gone? The wealth he accumulated and left for his heirs to squabble over? The glory he obtained, only to be passed on to those who slew him? The lofty positions he held through happenstance? No. We fight here because we understand. The end is the same. It is the path that separates men. When we taste that end, we will do so with our heads held high, eyes to the sun.
I am not ashamed of what I have become. Other men may debase themselves to destroy me. Let them have their glory. For I will retain mine!"
Death is the end of all men! What is the measure of him once he is gone? The wealth he accumulated and left for his heirs to squabble over? The glory he obtained, only to be passed on to those who slew him? The lofty positions he held through happenstance? No. We fight here because we understand. The end is the same. It is the path that separates men. When we taste that end, we will do so with our heads held high, eyes to the sun.
I am not ashamed of what I have become. Other men may debase themselves to destroy me. Let them have their glory. For I will retain mine!"
— Dalinar Kholin, The Way of Kings (2010)
Miss Militia: I understand where you're coming from, but again, I have to ask for evidence. I can't take you at your word, there's procedures to be followed.
Skitter: Procedures that tie your hands.
Miss Militia: And they protect us at the same time.
Skitter: Procedures that tie your hands.
Miss Militia: And they protect us at the same time.
— Worm
Felix: My lord, why don't you take [command]?
Rutger von Volgen: I don't know what you mean, mein herr.
Felix: Yes you do, my lord. Von Geldrecht is no general. You know that. He isn't much more than a jumped-up quartermaster, and he is leading us to ruin! You could lead us to victory — or survival at least.
von Volgen: You speak of mutiny.
Felix: I speak of saving men's lives! He has already killed half of us with his hesitations and his refusal to free Tauber. Will you sit and watch while he kills the rest? You could save us! You want to save us!
Kat: Yes, my lord. Please.
von Volgen: Herr Jaeger, I thank you for the high opinion you have of my abilities, but it doesn't matter what I want. I have no authority here. I may advise. I may suggest, but it would be mutiny, indeed treason, for me to try to wrest command the rightful lord of this castle has given it to, and I will not commit treason.
Felix: But your men may die! His men may die! Sigmar's beard, if Kemmler takes Castle Reikguard and leads us all to Altdorf, it might be the Empire that dies! Isn't that a greater treason?
von Volgen: You make a compelling argument, but I cannot agree. Law is the strength of our Empire, Herr Jaeger. More than strength in arms or faith in Sigmar, the laws that bind lord to lord and lord to peasant protect us. They allow us to trust one another, to unite and to know that the strong will not take advantage of the weak in times of crisis.
Kat: But you won't take advantage. You aren't that sort of ruler.
von Volgen: Today I am not. Today, I usurp the rule of Castle Reikguard for the noble cause of saving the Empire. But what will tomorrow's excuse be? Will I take command of my neighbour's forces because he is losing a war against beastmen? Will I overthrow the elector count of Talabecland if he rules poorly? A man may break the law with the best of intentions, but when he sees the ease of it, it becomes habit, and he is lost. I am sorry, friends. I will give Steward von Geldrecht what aid I can, but he rules here, and I will not change that. Nor will I allow anyone else to try.
Rutger von Volgen: I don't know what you mean, mein herr.
Felix: Yes you do, my lord. Von Geldrecht is no general. You know that. He isn't much more than a jumped-up quartermaster, and he is leading us to ruin! You could lead us to victory — or survival at least.
von Volgen: You speak of mutiny.
Felix: I speak of saving men's lives! He has already killed half of us with his hesitations and his refusal to free Tauber. Will you sit and watch while he kills the rest? You could save us! You want to save us!
Kat: Yes, my lord. Please.
von Volgen: Herr Jaeger, I thank you for the high opinion you have of my abilities, but it doesn't matter what I want. I have no authority here. I may advise. I may suggest, but it would be mutiny, indeed treason, for me to try to wrest command the rightful lord of this castle has given it to, and I will not commit treason.
Felix: But your men may die! His men may die! Sigmar's beard, if Kemmler takes Castle Reikguard and leads us all to Altdorf, it might be the Empire that dies! Isn't that a greater treason?
von Volgen: You make a compelling argument, but I cannot agree. Law is the strength of our Empire, Herr Jaeger. More than strength in arms or faith in Sigmar, the laws that bind lord to lord and lord to peasant protect us. They allow us to trust one another, to unite and to know that the strong will not take advantage of the weak in times of crisis.
Kat: But you won't take advantage. You aren't that sort of ruler.
von Volgen: Today I am not. Today, I usurp the rule of Castle Reikguard for the noble cause of saving the Empire. But what will tomorrow's excuse be? Will I take command of my neighbour's forces because he is losing a war against beastmen? Will I overthrow the elector count of Talabecland if he rules poorly? A man may break the law with the best of intentions, but when he sees the ease of it, it becomes habit, and he is lost. I am sorry, friends. I will give Steward von Geldrecht what aid I can, but he rules here, and I will not change that. Nor will I allow anyone else to try.
Live-Action TV
Kovarian: The anger of a good man is not a problem. Good men have too many rules.
The Doctor: Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many.
The Doctor: Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many.
Anan: You realize what you have done?
Kirk: Yes, I do. I've given you back the horrors of war. The Vendikans now assume that you've broken your agreement and that you're preparing to wage real war with real weapons. They'll want do the same. Only the next attack they launch will do a lot more than count up numbers in a computer. They'll destroy cities, devastate your planet. You of course will want to retaliate. If I were you, I'd start making bombs. Yes, Councilman, you have a real war on your hands. You can either wage it with real weapons, or you might consider an alternative. Put an end to it. Make peace.
Anan: There can be no peace. Don't you see? We've admitted it to ourselves. We're a killer species. It's instinctive. It's the same with you. Your General Order 24.
Kirk: All right. It's instinctive. But the instinct can be fought. We're human beings with the blood of a million savage years on our hands, but we can stop it. We can admit that we're killers, but we're not going to kill today. That's all it takes. Knowing that we won't kill... today.
Kirk: Yes, I do. I've given you back the horrors of war. The Vendikans now assume that you've broken your agreement and that you're preparing to wage real war with real weapons. They'll want do the same. Only the next attack they launch will do a lot more than count up numbers in a computer. They'll destroy cities, devastate your planet. You of course will want to retaliate. If I were you, I'd start making bombs. Yes, Councilman, you have a real war on your hands. You can either wage it with real weapons, or you might consider an alternative. Put an end to it. Make peace.
Anan: There can be no peace. Don't you see? We've admitted it to ourselves. We're a killer species. It's instinctive. It's the same with you. Your General Order 24.
Kirk: All right. It's instinctive. But the instinct can be fought. We're human beings with the blood of a million savage years on our hands, but we can stop it. We can admit that we're killers, but we're not going to kill today. That's all it takes. Knowing that we won't kill... today.
Halkan Councilman: Captain, you do have the might to force the [dilithium] crystals from us.
Captain Kirk: But we won't. Consider that.
Captain Kirk: But we won't. Consider that.
Marla: The tree that doesn't bend breaks, Cedric.
Cedric Daniels: Bend too far, you're already broken.
Cedric Daniels: Bend too far, you're already broken.
— The Wire
Tabletop Games
"There is no world where angels fear to tread."
— Maelstrom Archangel, Magic: The Gathering
Warhammer 40,000
"His every breath is a prayer. His every step brings the galaxy one step closer to unification in darkness."
— The Book of Lorgar
Mercaeno: For evil despises evil. And that is not why I brought you here. I came to this place, my battle-brothers and I, this nest of foulness in the Eye of Terror itself [Holds up his axe.] This is the weapon that took the head of the daemon Periclitor! For a day and a night we battled him on this peak until only I remained, and yet I did not falter! I fought on, and drew from the Emperor's own strength! And finally I took its head, and I held it up on this mountaintop and watched the daemons fleeing before me. A man would have died in moments. A Space Marine would have fallen to Periclitor. But not a Howling Griffon. I brought you here to show you why.
[Periclitor was gone and only Mercaeno remained. Sarpedon would rather have fought the daemon — he had vanquished daemons before, and he knew that no matter what they would try to deceive and destroy, for that was the reason the Chaos gods created them. But Mercaeno was a different type of enemy.]
Sarpedon: Because you made a promise.
Mercaeno: [Smiles] Finally, you understand why you must die.
[Periclitor was gone and only Mercaeno remained. Sarpedon would rather have fought the daemon — he had vanquished daemons before, and he knew that no matter what they would try to deceive and destroy, for that was the reason the Chaos gods created them. But Mercaeno was a different type of enemy.]
Sarpedon: Because you made a promise.
Mercaeno: [Smiles] Finally, you understand why you must die.
"Only in Death does Duty end."
— Imperial Proverb
"I tread the path of Righteousness. Though it be paved with broken glass, I shall walk it barefoot; though it crosses rivers of fire, I will pass over them; though it wanders wide, the light of the Emperor guides my step."
— Confessor Dolan of Chiros - Sermon on the road to Gathalamor
"It is not my mind to ask questions that cannot be answered. That is the soul standing upon the crossroad of vacillation. You search for wisdom, but achieve only a stasis of will."
— Inquisitor Lichenstein
"Duty is not a word coined in idleness, duty being the first grace the Emperor extends to the newborn, and the last connection with Him to comfort the dying, and so the forsaking of it is damnation in evident form."
— Arbiter Shira Calpurnia
Video Games
"I won't let fear compromise who I am."
— Commander Shepard, Mass Effect 2 (Paragon story route)
"My self-control is who I am."
— Samara, Mass Effect 2
Vhailor: When the injustice is great enough, justice will lend me the strength needed to correct it. None may stand against it. It will shatter every barrier, sunder any shield, tear through any enchantment, and lend its servant the power to pass sentence. Know this: There is nothing on all the Planes that can stay the hand of justice when it is brought against them. It may unmake armies. It may sunder the thrones of gods. Know that for all who betray justice, I am their fate. And fate carries an executioner's axe.
The Nameless One: I see.
Vhailor: No. You do not see. Pray that you never will.
The Nameless One: I see.
Vhailor: No. You do not see. Pray that you never will.
Webcomics
"I stay 'ere because it's me duty. And bein' a dwarf is all about doin' yer duty, even if it makes ye miserable. ESPECIALLY if it makes ye miserable!"
— Durkon, The Order of the Stick
Julia: But you said the whole world is at stake. Doesn't that imply—
Roy: What, that I should do literally anything to save it? That the ends justify the means?
Julia: Kinda, yeah!
Roy: Look, if someone else wants to try and save the world, they are welcome to do so in whatever moral and ethical framework they prefer. Within reason. But I don't see anyone else stepping up to the plate, so the multiverse is stuck with me and my conscience.
Julia: And what if it turns out it's necessary to go against that?
Roy: It's impossible to ever know if it is actually necessary! Just that it seems easier!
Julia: But what if you're wrong?
Roy: Well, then, I guess I'll be dead and it won't be my problem anymore!
Julia: That's easy for you to say!
Roy: What, that I should do literally anything to save it? That the ends justify the means?
Julia: Kinda, yeah!
Roy: Look, if someone else wants to try and save the world, they are welcome to do so in whatever moral and ethical framework they prefer. Within reason. But I don't see anyone else stepping up to the plate, so the multiverse is stuck with me and my conscience.
Julia: And what if it turns out it's necessary to go against that?
Roy: It's impossible to ever know if it is actually necessary! Just that it seems easier!
Julia: But what if you're wrong?
Roy: Well, then, I guess I'll be dead and it won't be my problem anymore!
Julia: That's easy for you to say!
Miscellaneous
O, to grace, how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.
— Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, a traditional Christian hymn
"If you don't like the religious Right, wait till you see the post-religious Right."
— Ross Douthat
