--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 1. Never forget what you are, for surely…" description: "\"“1. Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/george-rr-martin-40718_happiness_1-never-forget-what-you-are-for-surely-t_2565776.jpg" --- # 1. Never forget what you are, for surely the world will… ![“1. Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you. 2. The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. 3. A wise man does not make demands of kings. 4. A mind…” quote by George RR Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/george-rr-martin-40718_happiness_1-never-forget-what-you-are-for-surely-t_2565776.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/george-rr-martin-40718_happiness_1-never-forget-what-you-are-for-surely-t_2565776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/george-rr-martin-40718_happiness_1-never-forget-what-you-are-for-surely-t_2565776.jpg) > ““1. Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you. 2. The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. 3. A wise man does not make demands of kings. 4. A mind needs a book as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep it's edge. 5. People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up. 6. A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one. 7. I swear to you, sitting a throne is a thousand times harder than winning one. 8. In the world as I have seen it, no man grows rich by kindness. 9. If a man paints a target on his chest, he should expect that sooner or later someone will loose an arrow on him. 10. Crowns do queer things to the heads beneath them. 11. In battle a Captain's lungs are as important as his sword arm. I does not matter how brave or brilliant the man is if his commands can't be heard. 12. A man is never so vulnerable in battle as when he flees. 13. Gold has it's uses, but wars are won with iron. 14. The man who fears losing has already lost. 15. Words are wind. 16. The unseen enemy is always the most fearsome. 17. Sharp steel and strong arms rule this world, don't ever believe any different. 18. Give gold to a foe and he will just come back for more. 19. In this world only winter is certain. 20. The gods have no mercy. That's why they're gods. 21. I have learned that the contents of a man's letters are more valuable than the contents of his wallet”” [George RR Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-rr-martin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A collection of maxims on identity, power, knowledge, truth, reading, ambition, kindness, vulnerability, and mortality, urging self‑knowledge and strategic action. **In simple terms:** Wisdom on life, power, and learning. Key Takeaway Apply these insights daily. Themes identity power knowledge truth reading ambition kindness vulnerability mortality Mood serious reflective inspirational Type advice philosophical literary When to use this quote - leadership - personal development - conflict resolution - education - financial planning Key Concepts self‑knowledge strategic thinking philosophy literary wisdom Questions to Reflect On - Which maxim resonates most with you? - How can you balance ambition with compassion? A Different Perspective Some advice may be cynical or overly harsh. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Sooner or later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner-or-later/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wise man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-man/) ## Related quotes > [“word is like a sword; you should be wise when to use it or it'll kill and ruin everything you did in your past,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-thaselia/word-is-like-a-sword-you-should-be-wise-when-to-use-it-or-it-ll-kill/) A Thaselia > [“A reader lives a thousand lives before they die... One who never reads... only lives ONE”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiah-radwan/a-reader-lives-a-thousand-lives-before-they-die-one-who-never-reads/) Aiah Radwan > [“Yeah, that’s exactly how much I read. It was a form of escapism. It was George R.R. Martin who said, ‘a reader lives a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangelene/yeah-that-s-exactly-how-much-i-read-it-was-a-form-of-escapism-it-was/) Evangelene > [“A reader lives a thousand lives before they die. The ones who never read live only once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-leclair/a-reader-lives-a-thousand-lives-before-they-die-the-ones-who-never/) Emily LeClair > [A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/a-reader-lives-a-thousand-lives-before-he-dies-the-man-who-never/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“A reader lives a thousand lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/a-reader-lives-a-thousand-lives/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-reader-lives-a-thousand-lives-before-he-dies/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-reader-lives-a-thousand-lives-before-he-dies-said-jojen-the-man-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The reader lives a thousand lives, while the non-reader only lives one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-reader-lives-a-thousand-lives-while-the-non-reader-only-lives-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Good filmmakers actually are people who have lived life, who have something to say, who have stories to tell. People who fall, perhaps make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliet-asante/good-filmmakers-actually-are-people-who-have-lived-life-who-have/) [Juliet Asante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliet-asante/) > [“Lannister said. “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/lannister-said-never-forget-what-you-are-for-surely-the-world-will/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“Don't make me your follower, make me your strength”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/don-t-make-me-your-follower-make-me-your-strength/) [P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/) > [“Take the breath of the new dawn and make it part of you. It will give you strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hopi-nation/take-the-breath-of-the-new-dawn-and-make-it-part-of-you-it-will-give/) Hopi Nation > [Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/game-of-thrones/never-forget-what-you-are-for-surely-the-world-will-not-make-it-your/) [Game Of Thrones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/game-of-thrones/) > [Nothing is so contrary to military rules as to make the strength of your army known, either in the orders of the day, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/nothing-is-so-contrary-to-military-rules-as-to-make-the-strength-of/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## More by George RR Martin > [“A craven can be as brave as any man, when there is nothing to fear. 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What dishonor if you lay together?" 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That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [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/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“1. Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you. 2. The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. 3. A wise man does not make demands of kings. 4. A mind needs a book as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep it's edge. 5. People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up. 6. A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one. 7. I swear to you, sitting a throne is a thousand times harder than winning one. 8. In the world as I have seen it, no man grows rich by kindness. 9. If a man paints a target on his chest, he should expect that sooner or later someone will loose an arrow on him. 10. Crowns do queer things to the heads beneath them. 11. In battle a Captain's lungs are as important as his sword arm. I does not matter how brave or brilliant the man is if his commands can't be heard. 12. A man is never so vulnerable in battle as when he flees. 13. Gold has it's uses, but wars are won with iron. 14. The man who fears losing has already lost. 15. Words are wind. 16. The unseen enemy is always the most fearsome. 17. Sharp steel and strong arms rule this world, don't ever believe any different. 18. Give gold to a foe and he will just come back for more. 19. In this world only winter is certain. 20. The gods have no mercy. That's why they're gods. 21. 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