Only men would think of cutting themselves to determine who the packleader is. Idiots.

In El-harím, there lived a man, a man with yellow eyes. To me, he said, "Beware the whispers, for they whisper lies. Do not wrestle with the demons of the dark, Else upon your mind they'll place a mark; Do not listen to the shadows of the deep, Else they haunt you even when you sleep.

You must be willing to protect yourself and what you cherish, no matter what the cost.

Leave the dead to the Earth. They are not for us. - Valdr

Never ask an elf for help; they might decide your better off dead, eh?" (Orik) (Eldest) (Page 207)

Better to see widely than to see too closely and allow some feature of place or situation to catch you unawares. Do you understand?

Really! Between you and Eragon, I seem to spend most of my time among the Varden healing people to silly to realize they need to avoid getting chopped into tiny little pieces