--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ruby is meant to represent a drop of…" description: "\"“The ruby is meant to represent a drop of blood. It is the symbolic representation of the way of the primary edict. It means only one thing and everyth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/terry-goodkind-924_death_the-ruby-is-meant-to-represent-a-drop-of_1657543.jpg" --- # The ruby is meant to represent a drop of blood. It is the… ![“The ruby is meant to represent a drop of blood. It is the symbolic representation of the way of the primary edict. It means only one thing and everything. Cut. Once committed to the fight, cut. Everything else is secondary. Cut. That is your duty, your purpose, your hunger. There is no rule more…” quote by Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/terry-goodkind-924_death_the-ruby-is-meant-to-represent-a-drop-of_1657543.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/terry-goodkind-924_death_the-ruby-is-meant-to-represent-a-drop-of_1657543.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/terry-goodkind-924_death_the-ruby-is-meant-to-represent-a-drop-of_1657543.jpg) > ““The ruby is meant to represent a drop of blood. It is the symbolic representation of the way of the primary edict. It means only one thing and everything. Cut. Once committed to the fight, cut. Everything else is secondary. Cut. That is your duty, your purpose, your hunger. There is no rule more important, no commitment that overrides that one. Cut. The lines are a portrayal of the dance. Cut from the void, not from bewilderment. Cut the enemy as quickly and directly as possible. Cut with certainty. Cut decisively, resolutely. Cut into his strength. Flow through the gap in his guard. Cut him. Cut him down utterly. Don’t allow him a breath. Crush him. Cut him without mercy to the depths of his spirit. It’s the balance of life: death. It is the dance with death.”” [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage stresses relentless, decisive action in conflict, treating each strike as a moral imperative and a dance with death. **In simple terms:** Act decisively and without hesitation in battle. Key Takeaway Commit fully, strike without doubt. Themes discipline combat honor focus purpose Mood intense determined grim Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - Warrior training - martial arts practice - strategic planning - high‑stakes negotiations - critical decision making Key Concepts Moral absolutism martial philosophy death as balance Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance decisive action with compassion? - When is restraint more powerful than force? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on aggression can ignore diplomacy and ethical nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance Of Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance-of-life/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ## Related quotes > [Once committed to fight, cut. Everything else is secondary. Cut. That is your duty, your purpose, your hunger. There is no rule more important,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/once-committed-to-fight-cut-everything-else-is-secondary-cut-that-is/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [Of course, there's been a real debate about where to invest and where to cut, and I'm committed to working with members of both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/of-course-there-s-been-a-real-debate-about-where-to-invest-and-where/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miyamoto-musashi/the-primary-thing-when-you-take-a-sword-in-your-hands-is-your/) [Miyamoto Musashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miyamoto-musashi/) > [To have command of the air means to be able to cut an enemy's army and navy off from their bases of operation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giulio-douhet/to-have-command-of-the-air-means-to-be-able-to-cut-an-enemy-s-army/) [Giulio Douhet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giulio-douhet/) > [“There are certain shocks which, if sufficiently strong, seem to have power to destroy the balance of life. Such a shock would seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kavan/there-are-certain-shocks-which-if-sufficiently-strong-seem-to-have/) [Anna Kavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kavan/) > [Everything in life is connected somehow. You may have to dig deep to find it but its there. Everything is the same even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-brandt/everything-in-life-is-connected-somehow-you-may-have-to-dig-deep-to/) [Anthony Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-brandt/) > [“Everything happened to find the balance of Life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/everything-happened-to-find-the-balance-of-life/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Luna, a figure sculpted from the very heart of the Louisiana bayou, stood as the focal point of the glade. Her existence seemed interwoven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-marie-larue/luna-a-figure-sculpted-from-the-very-heart-of-the-louisiana-bayou/) Alexis Marie LaRue > [We discover too late that we have turned a blind eye to the extinction of a species that is essential to the balance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/we-discover-too-late-that-we-have-turned-a-blind-eye-to-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [“Throughout history, religions and ideologies did not sanctify life itself. They always sanctified something above or beyond earthly existence, and were consequently quite tolerant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/throughout-history-religions-and-ideologies-did-not-sanctify-life/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“In the uneven balance of life, I'd experienced love and loss. The loss challenged me to be strong, but it was the love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-donovan/in-the-uneven-balance-of-life-i-d-experienced-love-and-loss-the-loss/) [Rebecca Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-donovan/) > [“The balance of life; every loss is a gain. And every gain is a loss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-balance-of-life-every-loss-is-a-gain-and-every-gain-is-a-loss/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [The energetic balance of life can be uneven at times, but without duality there would be no balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-energetic-balance-of-life-can-be-uneven-at-times-but-without/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The point isn't knowing what will happen, it's being aware that everything we do affects the whole. All of us - mages, vampires, humans,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaye-wells/the-point-isn-t-knowing-what-will-happen-it-s-being-aware-that/) [Jaye Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaye-wells/) > [I know why families were created with all their imperfections. They humanize you. They are made to make you forget yourself occasionally, so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-know-why-families-were-created-with-all-their-imperfections-they/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) ## More by Terry Goodkind > [Sometimes, it is necessary to step beyond what you have known and to reach for something more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/sometimes-it-is-necessary-to-step-beyond-what-you-have-known-and-to/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“It should hurt, shouldn’t it? Shouldn’t it hurt to be ripped in half? But it didn’t. It didn’t hurt the least little bit. Cold.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/it-should-hurt-shouldn-t-it-shouldn-t-it-hurt-to-be-ripped-in-half/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [Dancing with death meant being committed to killing, committed with your heart and soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/dancing-with-death-meant-being-committed-to-killing-committed-with/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [Only a fool walks into the future backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/only-a-fool-walks-into-the-future-backwards/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“Sometimes it's more important to seize the chance and do what you can even knowing that it won't likely account for everything, that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/sometimes-it-s-more-important-to-seize-the-chance-and-do-what-you-can/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“While it was understandable to be afraid, and no one would expect you not to be, the worst thing you could do was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/while-it-was-understandable-to-be-afraid-and-no-one-would-expect-you/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“Leadership is a nurturing of those under your command.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/leadership-is-a-nurturing-of-those-under-your-command/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“To question me once is a simple mistake, Lieutenant. Twice is treason. We execute traitors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/to-question-me-once-is-a-simple-mistake-lieutenant-twice-is-treason/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [Fate does not seek our consent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/fate-does-not-seek-our-consent/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [Wizard's Third Rule Passion rules reason, For better or for worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/wizard-s-third-rule-passion-rules-reason-for-better-or-for-worse/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“Nicci looked up at Kahlan. “Knives are not my talent.” “It’s not hard,” Kahlan said as she pressed the handle into Nicci’s hand. “When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/nicci-looked-up-at-kahlan-knives-are-not-my-talent-it-s-not-hard/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“This was why he couldn’t let Richard know it was the chimes themselves that were loose. Richard would not have accepted what Zedd intended,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/this-was-why-he-couldn-t-let-richard-know-it-was-the-chimes/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“price. There is no such thing as pure good or pure evil, least of all in people. In the best of us there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/price-there-is-no-such-thing-as-pure-good-or-pure-evil-least-of-all/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [The first step to believing something is true is wanting to believe it is true... or being afraid it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/the-first-step-to-believing-something-is-true-is-wanting-to-believe/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [...you'll find that being a friend is to like a person for who they are, even the parts you don't understand. You don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/you-ll-find-that-being-a-friend-is-to-like-a-person-for-who-they-are/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) [Explore all 323 Terry Goodkind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“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/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The ruby is meant to represent a drop of blood. It is the symbolic representation of the way of the primary edict. It means only one thing and everything. Cut. Once committed to the fight, cut. Everything else is secondary. Cut. That is your duty, your purpose, your hunger. There is no rule more important, no commitment that overrides that one. Cut. The lines are a portrayal of the dance. Cut from the void, not from bewilderment. Cut the enemy as quickly and directly as possible. Cut with certainty. Cut decisively, resolutely. Cut into his strength. Flow through the gap in his guard. Cut him. Cut him down utterly. Don’t allow him a breath. Crush him. Cut him without mercy to the depths of his spirit. It’s the balance of life: death. 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