--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Can’t you just relax,” she asked him…" description: "\"“Can’t you just relax,” she asked him, “just for a little while?” “The rules—” “Everyone else—” “I cannot be everyone else!” Dalinar said, more sharply..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/brandon-sanderson-112_philosophy_can-t-you-just-relax-she-asked-him-just_1639106.jpg" --- # Can’t you just relax,” she asked him, “just for a little… ![“Can’t you just relax,” she asked him, “just for a little while?” “The rules—” “Everyone else—” “I cannot be everyone else!” Dalinar said, more sharply than he intended. “If I ignore our code and ethics, what am I, Navani? The other highprinces and lighteyes deserve recrimination for what they do…” quote by Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/brandon-sanderson-112_philosophy_can-t-you-just-relax-she-asked-him-just_1639106.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/brandon-sanderson-112_philosophy_can-t-you-just-relax-she-asked-him-just_1639106.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/brandon-sanderson-112_philosophy_can-t-you-just-relax-she-asked-him-just_1639106.jpg) > ““Can’t you just relax,” she asked him, “just for a little while?” “The rules—” “Everyone else—” “I cannot be everyone else!” Dalinar said, more sharply than he intended. “If I ignore our code and ethics, what am I, Navani? The other highprinces and lighteyes deserve recrimination for what they do, and I have let them know it. If I abandon my principles, then I become something far worse than they. A hypocrite!”” [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He confronts his fear of abandoning principles, fearing becoming a hypocrite if he compromises. **In simple terms:** He worries abandoning his principles makes him a hypocrite. Key Takeaway Uphold integrity despite pressure. Themes integrity identity ethical dilemmas Mood conflicted serious Type philosophical dramatic When to use this quote - political decision - personal conflict - ethical crisis Key Concepts moral philosophy self‑concept leadership Questions to Reflect On - When have you faced a conflict between duty and conscience? - Can compromise ever preserve integrity? A Different Perspective Compromise may be necessary for greater good, creating moral ambiguity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dalinar Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dalinar-said-551864/) [Deserve Recrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deserve-recrimination-551866/) [Hypocrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrite/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Rules Dalinar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-dalinar-551865/) [Worse Hypocrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse-hypocrite-551867/) ## Related quotes > [“We never lack men and women who wish to lead.” “True,” Dalinar said, “but we do lack ones who are good at it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/we-never-lack-men-and-women-who-wish-to-lead-true-dalinar-said-but-we/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“I," Dalinar said softly, "am an animal." "What-" "An animal," Dalinar said, "reacts as it is prodded. You whip it, and it becomes savage.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-dalinar-said-softly-am-an-animal-what-an-animal-dalinar-said-reacts/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Our ultimate goal is the preservation of all Roshar," Dalinar said softly. "We've seen the cost of division in our ranks. Because of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/our-ultimate-goal-is-the-preservation-of-all-roshar-dalinar-said/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“The kiss was yours, Dalinar,' she said idly, pulling open the door and entering his antechamber. 'You seduced me to it.' 'What? Seduced?' She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/the-kiss-was-yours-dalinar-she-said-idly-pulling-open-the-door-and/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Exhaustion,” Dalinar said, “pain, suffering. This is what victory usually feels”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/exhaustion-dalinar-said-pain-suffering-this-is-what-victory-usually/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Journey before destination,” Dalinar said. “It cannot be a journey if it doesn’t have a beginning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/journey-before-destination-dalinar-said-it-cannot-be-a-journey-if-it/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“How . . .” Dalinar said. “You fell into a chasm!” “I fell face-first, sir,” Kaladin said, “and fortunately, I’m particularly hard-headed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/how-dalinar-said-you-fell-into-a-chasm-i-fell-face-first-sir-kaladin/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Something is either right or it’s wrong,” Dalinar said, feeling stubborn. “The Almighty doesn't come into it.” “God,” Navani said flatly, “doesn't come into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/something-is-either-right-or-it-s-wrong-dalinar-said-feeling-stubborn/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“If someone insulted my biceps, I wouldn’t attack him,” Dalinar said. “I’d refer him to a physician, because obviously something is wrong with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-someone-insulted-my-biceps-i-wouldn-t-attack-him-dalinar-said-i-d/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [If I should die,” Dalinar said, “then I would do so having lived my life right. It is not the destination that matters, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-i-should-die-dalinar-said-then-i-would-do-so-having-lived-my-life/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Dalinar took a deep breath, then forced himself to open his arms and pull back. “If you had hoped to soothe my worries for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/dalinar-took-a-deep-breath-then-forced-himself-to-open-his-arms-and/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a person who is in the process of changing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/sometimes-a-hypocrite-is-nothing-more-than-a-person-who-is-in-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a man in the process of changing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/sometimes-a-hypocrite-is-nothing-more-than-a-man-in-the-process-of/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Sometimes, a hypocrite is nothing more than a man who is in the process of changing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/sometimes-a-hypocrite-is-nothing-more-than-a-man-who-is-in-the-2/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a man who is in the process of changing…all things exist in three reallms, the phiysical, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/sometimes-a-hypocrite-is-nothing-more-than-a-man-who-is-in-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## More by Brandon Sanderson > [“I’ll admit, Jasnah, that I empathize with your skepticism, but I don’t agree with it. I just think you've been looking for God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-ll-admit-jasnah-that-i-empathize-with-your-skepticism-but-i-don-t/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [They say a man doesn't know himself until he faces death for the first time. . . I don't know about that. It seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/they-say-a-man-doesn-t-know-himself-until-he-faces-death-for-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“I wasn’t a nerd, mind you, but I’d spent a lot of my youth studying Epics, so I’d had limited experience with social interaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-wasn-t-a-nerd-mind-you-but-i-d-spent-a-lot-of-my-youth-studying/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Why, Elend! That’s almost romantic—in a twisted ‘I’m going to make my wife want to kill me’ sort of way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/why-elend-that-s-almost-romantic-in-a-twisted-i-m-going-to-make-my/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“And...how much are we getting paid for achieving the impossible?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/and-how-much-are-we-getting-paid-for-achieving-the-impossible/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elantris was the one place where she could remember feeling unconditional acceptance. She had not been a princess, she had been something far better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elantris-was-the-one-place-where-she-could-remember-feeling/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elend-smiled-oh-come-on-you-have-to-admit-that-you-re-unusual-vin-you/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“That is always how it is, though, isn't it?” Shuden asked. “Those who can least afford extravagance seem to be the ones most determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/that-is-always-how-it-is-though-isn-t-it-shuden-asked-those-who-can/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“He says he’s letting the Stormfather judge you,” Moash added. “Jezerezeh, king of Heralds. He says that if you deserve to live, you will….”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/he-says-he-s-letting-the-stormfather-judge-you-moash-added-jezerezeh/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“The stories say the Nightwatcher might be capable of that. . . . Powerful spren. Vast spren.’ ‘Is he calling me vast?’ Syl said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/the-stories-say-the-nightwatcher-might-be-capable-of-that-powerful/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“But the mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/but-the-mark-of-a-great-man-is-one-who-knows-when-to-set-aside-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“My life to yours. My breath beecome yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/my-life-to-yours-my-breath-beecome-yours/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-you-re-always-on-time-it-implies-that-you-never-have-anything/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [You are inexperienced. So was I, once. So is every man. The measure of a person is not how much they have lived. .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-are-inexperienced-so-was-i-once-so-is-every-man-the-measure-of-a/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“So I should not hate Adolin Kholin for wielding a corpse!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/so-i-should-not-hate-adolin-kholin-for-wielding-a-corpse/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) [Explore all 1,238 Brandon Sanderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## More Hypocrite quotes > [Those old hypocrites. They talk about killing witches but the Good Book’s full of magic. Turning the Nile to blood and parting the Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/those-old-hypocrites-they-talk-about-killing-witches-but-the-good/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [I would be a huge hypocrite if I didn't tell you that at one time in my life I thought the way that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neko-case/i-would-be-a-huge-hypocrite-if-i-didn-t-tell-you-that-at-one-time-in/) [Neko Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neko-case/) > [No one has it all figured out, especially not the people who are acting like they do and judging you because of it. Pretending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/no-one-has-it-all-figured-out-especially-not-the-people-who-are/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [Without the heart it is no worship. It is a stage play. It is an acting of a part without being that person, really.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-charnock/without-the-heart-it-is-no-worship-it-is-a-stage-play-it-is-an-acting/) [Stephen Charnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-charnock/) > [ That's why we had Louis C.K. portray the harder line Communist, to accuse \[Dalton\] Trumbo of being a hypocrite. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/that-s-why-we-had-louis-c-k-portray-the-harder-line-communist-to/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [“If you wear a mask for too long, there will come a time when you can not remove it without removing your face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/if-you-wear-a-mask-for-too-long-there-will-come-a-time-when-you-can/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [I know that might sound perverse because I played Julian Assange but, honestly, I don't think it would be fair for me to judge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/i-know-that-might-sound-perverse-because-i-played-julian-assange-but/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [It is not the being seen of men that is wrong, but doing these things for the purpose of being seen of men. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/it-is-not-the-being-seen-of-men-that-is-wrong-but-doing-these-things/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [“Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a man who is in the process of changing…all things exist in three reallms, the phiysical, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/sometimes-a-hypocrite-is-nothing-more-than-a-man-who-is-in-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [A hypocrite is one who plays two parts consciously for his own ends. When we find fault with other people we may be quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/a-hypocrite-is-one-who-plays-two-parts-consciously-for-his-own-ends/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Only crime and the criminal, it is true, confront us with the perplexity of radical evil; but only the hypocrite is really rotten to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/only-crime-and-the-criminal-it-is-true-confront-us-with-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [They's a heap more to God's will than death, disapoint-ment, and like thet. Hit's God's will for us to be good and do good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olive-ann-burns/they-s-a-heap-more-to-god-s-will-than-death-disapoint-ment-and-like/) [Olive Ann Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olive-ann-burns/) > [Without the heart it is no worship; it is a stage play; an acting a part without being that person really which is acted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-charnock/without-the-heart-it-is-no-worship-it-is-a-stage-play-an-acting-a/) [Stephen Charnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-charnock/) > [You have deep-seated survival anxieties. And you don't like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites. Subconsciously there are many people you hate." "Consciously, sir, consciously,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/you-have-deep-seated-survival-anxieties-and-you-don-t-like-bigots/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [There are many who are lip servants but not life servants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jenkyn/there-are-many-who-are-lip-servants-but-not-life-servants/) [William Jenkyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jenkyn/) [Browse all 532 Hypocrite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrite/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Can’t you just relax,” she asked him, “just for a little while?” “The rules—” “Everyone else—” “I cannot be everyone else!” Dalinar said, more sharply than he intended. “If I ignore our code and ethics, what am I, Navani? The other highprinces and lighteyes deserve recrimination for what they do, and I have let them know it. If I abandon my principles, then I become something far worse than they. A hypocrite!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brandon Sanderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/can-t-you-just-relax-she-asked-him-just-for-a-little-while-the-rules/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hypocrite" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/can-t-you-just-relax-she-asked-him-just-for-a-little-while-the-rules/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/brandon-sanderson-112_philosophy_can-t-you-just-relax-she-asked-him-just_1639106.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/brandon-sanderson-112_philosophy_can-t-you-just-relax-she-asked-him-just_1639106.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/brandon-sanderson-112_philosophy_can-t-you-just-relax-she-asked-him-just_1639106.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Can’t you just relax,” she asked him, “just for a little while?” “The rules—” “Everyone else—” “I cannot be…” — Brandon Sanderson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Brandon Sanderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Can’t you just relax,” she asked...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/can-t-you-just-relax-she-asked-him-just-for-a-little-while-the-rules/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/can-t-you-just-relax-she-asked-him-just-for-a-little-while-the-rules/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```