Change Quote by Steven Erikson
““No matter, they weren’t going anywhere. Never again. Two skeletons buried beneath a dead city. No more fitting a barrow for a warrior of the Apocalypse and a Malazan soldier. That seemed just, poetic even. He would not complain, and when he stood at this sergeant’s side at Hood’s Gate, he would be proud for the company.So much had changed inside him. He was no believer in causes, not any more. Certainty was an illusion, a lie. Fanaticism was poison in the soul, and the first victim in its inexorable, ever-growing list was compassion. Who could speak of freedom, when one’s own soul was bound in chains?””
About This Quote
The passage reflects on disillusionment with grand narratives, recognizing that certainty and fanaticism erode compassion, leaving freedom hollow when the self is enslaved by belief.
In simple terms: Disillusionment with certainty and fanaticism
Key Takeaway
Compassion dies under rigid ideology
Themes
disillusionment
illusion
fanaticism
compassion
freedom
identity
Mood
melancholic
reflective
somber
Type
philosophical
narrative
poetic
When to use this quote
- post-war reflection
- leadership crisis
- spiritual awakening
- ethical dilemma
Key Concepts
illusion of certainty
psychology of belief
moral decay
personal transformation
Practical Applications
- critical analysis of ideological narratives
- character development in storytelling
Questions to Reflect On
- When does certainty become a trap?
- How can compassion survive in a world of rigid beliefs?
