Being polite to a person is not a sign of respect for them. It is merely a sign of a good upbringing and a balanced nature.

Actually, [Wax] said, we came here because we needed someplace safe to think for a few hours." Ranette: "Your mansion isn't safe?" Wax: "My butler failed to poison me, then tried to shoot me, then set off an explosive in my study" Ranette: "Huh.... You need to screen these people better, Wax.

Elend: I kind of lost track of time… Breeze: For two hours? Elend: There were books involved.

Strength does not make one capable of rule; it makes one capable of service.

In the end, I must proclaim that no good can be achieved of false means. For the substance of our existence is not in the achievement, but in the method.

If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing. -Kelsier

It seems that the rebels found the chaos of transition more difficult to accept than the tyranny they had known before. They joyfully welcomed back authority-even oppressive authority-for it was less painful for them than uncertainty.