--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I swear, my dear. Sometimes our…" description: "\"“I swear, my dear. Sometimes our conversations remind me of a broken sword.\" She raised an eyebrow. \"Sharp as hell,\" Lightsong said, \"but lacking a poi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f2/brandon-sanderson-112_communication_i-swear-my-dear-sometimes-our-conversati_1665429.jpg" --- # I swear, my dear. Sometimes our conversations remind me of… ![“I swear, my dear. Sometimes our conversations remind me of a broken sword." She raised an eyebrow. "Sharp as hell," Lightsong said, "but lacking a point.” quote by Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f2/brandon-sanderson-112_communication_i-swear-my-dear-sometimes-our-conversati_1665429.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f2/brandon-sanderson-112_communication_i-swear-my-dear-sometimes-our-conversati_1665429.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f2/brandon-sanderson-112_communication_i-swear-my-dear-sometimes-our-conversati_1665429.jpg) > ““I swear, my dear. Sometimes our conversations remind me of a broken sword." She raised an eyebrow. "Sharp as hell," Lightsong said, "but lacking a point.”” [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. A conversation likened to a dull sword shows that sharpness without purpose is useless. **In simple terms:** Sharpness without purpose is useless. Key Takeaway Seek purpose, not just skill. Themes purpose communication meaning skill direction Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal relationships - team meetings - creative brainstorming - conflict resolution Key Concepts metaphor existential critique dialogue Questions to Reflect On - What purpose does your skill serve? - How can you add direction to sharp ideas? A Different Perspective Sharpness alone does not guarantee effectiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversations/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ## Related quotes > [“Giving her ten thousand Lifeless is enough to make even me consider my drunk-monkey theory.” “The one who chooses names and titles of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/giving-her-ten-thousand-lifeless-is-enough-to-make-even-me-consider/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“She’s only seventeen years old,” Llarimar said. “I can’t imagine being married to the God King at her age.” “I can’t imagine you being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/she-s-only-seventeen-years-old-llarimar-said-i-can-t-imagine-being/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Regardless, you ask why I did not greet you. Well, let us assume that I had acted as you suggest I should. Upon your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/regardless-you-ask-why-i-did-not-greet-you-well-let-us-assume-that-i/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“And are you going to explain why you consider competing with me to be the most sincere form of compliment?” “Of course I am,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/and-are-you-going-to-explain-why-you-consider-competing-with-me-to-be/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Then that is your problem, I surmise,” Lightsong said. “We’re gods, my dear, and we quickly grow tired of our immortal existences. Surely we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/then-that-is-your-problem-i-surmise-lightsong-said-we-re-gods-my-dear/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Now,” the Lopen said to her, “you gotta have two hands to properly crawl. I came up with my own version, sure, when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/now-the-lopen-said-to-her-you-gotta-have-two-hands-to-properly-crawl/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [This is going to take a while. I'm a fantasy author. We have trouble with the concept of brevity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/this-is-going-to-take-a-while-i-m-a-fantasy-author-we-have-trouble/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [We do become our conversations. We really will become our associations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s-sharma/we-do-become-our-conversations-we-really-will-become-our-associations/) [Robin S. Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-s-sharma/) > [Relationships this days are harder now because conversations become texting, arguments become phone calls and feelings becomes status updates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/insane-insomniac/relationships-this-days-are-harder-now-because-conversations-become/) [Insane & Insomniac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/insane-insomniac/) > [“So this is my aim for watercooler conversations: improve the ability to identify and understand errors of judgment and choice, in others and eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/so-this-is-my-aim-for-watercooler-conversations-improve-the-ability/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [I rather have one great person to talk to every night than have several pointless conversations with temporary people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/i-rather-have-one-great-person-to-talk-to-every-night-than-have/) Patience > [“With nowhere to be and all day to have them, conversations out on the trail took on a whole new meaning and depth. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-rohrig/with-nowhere-to-be-and-all-day-to-have-them-conversations-out-on-the/) [Kyle Rohrig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-rohrig/) > [I normally don't initiate conversations with guys unless they want to talk about certain things - when I'm at the facility, I'm there to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kluwe/i-normally-don-t-initiate-conversations-with-guys-unless-they-want-to/) [Chris Kluwe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kluwe/) > [I want the conversations I have with my homeboys to be brought to TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-clark/i-want-the-conversations-i-have-with-my-homeboys-to-be-brought-to-tv/) [Ryan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-clark/) > [I miss our conversations, I miss how we used to talk every minute of everyday and how I was able to tell you everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-miss-our-conversations-i-miss-how-we-used-to-talk-every-minute-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## 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 Communication quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/) [John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/) > [We should have a conversation when we hang up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/we-should-have-a-conversation-when-we-hang-up/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/) [Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/) > [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/) [Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/) > [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. I've been in a public bathroom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-ve-been-in-a-serious-conversation-with-one-of-my-children-and-a-fan/) [Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/) > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [Disability, in general, hasn't been included in the conversation about inclusivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-winston-george/disability-in-general-hasn-t-been-included-in-the-conversation-about/) [Jason Winston George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-winston-george/) > [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/) Yoram Wind > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) [Browse all 21,506 Communication quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I swear, my dear. Sometimes our conversations remind me of a broken sword.\" She raised an eyebrow. \"Sharp as hell,\" Lightsong said, \"but lacking a point.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brandon Sanderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-swear-my-dear-sometimes-our-conversations-remind-me-of-a-broken/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Communication" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-swear-my-dear-sometimes-our-conversations-remind-me-of-a-broken/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f2/brandon-sanderson-112_communication_i-swear-my-dear-sometimes-our-conversati_1665429.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f2/brandon-sanderson-112_communication_i-swear-my-dear-sometimes-our-conversati_1665429.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f2/brandon-sanderson-112_communication_i-swear-my-dear-sometimes-our-conversati_1665429.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I swear, my dear. Sometimes our conversations remind me of a broken sword.\" She raised an eyebrow. \"Sharp as…” — 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": "“I swear, my dear. Sometimes our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-swear-my-dear-sometimes-our-conversations-remind-me-of-a-broken/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-swear-my-dear-sometimes-our-conversations-remind-me-of-a-broken/#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 } } ] } ```