Playing around Quote by Brandon Sanderson
““Kaladin spun through the last motions of the kata, chasm forgotten, bridgemen forgotten, fatigue forgotten. For a moment, it was just him. Him and the wind. He fought with her, and she laughed. He snapped the spear back into place, holding the haft at the one-quarter position, spearhead down, bottom of the haft tucked underneath his arm, end rising back behind his head. He breathed in deeply, shivering. Oh, how I’ve missed that. He opened his eyes. Sputtering torchlight revealed a group of stunned bridgemen standing in a damp corridor of stone, the walls wet and reflecting the light. Moash dropped a handful of spheres in stunned silence, staring at Kaladin with mouth agape. Those spheres plopped into the puddle at his feet, causing it to glow, but none of the bridgemen noticed. They just stared at Kaladin, who was still in a battle stance, half crouched, trails of sweat running down the sides of his face. He blinked, realizing what he’d done. If word got back to Gaz that he was playing around with spears…Kaladin stood up straight and dropped the spear into the pile of weapons. “Sorry,” he whispered to it, though he didn’t know why. Then, louder, he said, “Back to work! I don’t want to be caught down here when night falls.””
About This Quote
Kaladin’s moment of focus amid chaos reveals how discipline and ritual can restore clarity, yet returning to duty is essential.
In simple terms: Focus can bring calm, but work must continue.
Balance mindfulness with responsibility.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- stressful work environment
- athletic training
- creative projects
- military drills
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you integrate focus with collaboration?
- When should you pause to reflect?
The narrative may glorify solitary heroics over teamwork.