Intent is guilt. Failure to successfully carry out the intent does not absolve the guilt.

Once you place that crown of liar on your head, you can take it off again, but it leaves a stain for all time.

The Wizard's First Rule: People are stupid; given proper motivation almost anyone will believe almost anything.

Celebrating faith over reason is merely a way of denying what is, in favor of embracing any whim that strikes your fancy.

Wizard's Third Rule Passion rules reason, For better or for worse.

no army has ever marched into battle thinking that the Creator had sided with their enemy.

...think of the solution, not the problem. If your mind was filled only with thoughts of why you were going to lose, then you couldn't think of how to win.