Shirtaloon > Quotes

“When you’re just a face in the crowd, then you can hold an ideal without being required to live up to it.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“You should always welcome being proven wrong,” Jason said. “It means your understanding of the world just got a little bit better.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 2

“Are you saying your world’s better than mine?” Jason asked. “We have magic,” Gary said. “We have internet porn,” Jason said.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“Do you know what the opposite of good is, Itsuki?” “Evil would be the obvious answer, but that’s not the answer you’re looking for.” “You’re right. The opposite of good is easy. That may have been the moral of the last Harry Potter book, now that I think about it. Anyway, people don’t do bad things because there is some antagonistic force driving them to sin. They do them because when the right thing is hard, making little compromises doesn’t seem so bad. A shortcut here, a little selfishness when no one will ever know. Every step makes the next one a little easier.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 5

“We can do it out here?” Sophie asked, looking uncertainly at the village around them. “Clive can,” Jason said. “He’s more flexible than most, so he can do it just about anywhere you have a flat space.” “It might seem unusual for the two of you to just up and do it in the middle of a village square,” Humphrey said, “but it’s something the villagers will be eager to see.” “It won’t take long,” Jason said. “Clive can just slip it into you out here and we can head off.” “He’s right; it won’t take long,” Clive assured her. “Even in less comfortable conditions, I’m very quick to finish.” “Alright,” Sophie said. “It’s not like it’s my first time.” “You heard the lady, Clive,” Jason said. “Whip it out.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 2

“Emi,” Erika said. “What did I tell you about swearing?” “That it’s an arbitrary assignment of negative value to words with no inherent negative value based on outmoded moral strictures,” Emi groaned.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 4

“You already know the question.” “Yet you must ask it. Only then will the responsibility for hearing the answer be yours.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“[...] You can do almost anything if you're willing to do what it takes. People mostly fail at things because they balk at what they have to do. It's not that the path isn't there but that they aren't willing to walk it. There's a price they aren't willing to pay, be it literal political, social, whatever. But if you're willing to commit, impossible is just a word for people convincing themselves not to try.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 2

“Are you a child?” Ernest asked. “Mate, we’re about to go flying across the desert in giant magic toboggans. If that doesn’t eke out any childlike wonder, then you might want to check your soul’s still in there.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“Yes,” Jason said, “I’m not very smart and simple formalities are super-hard to figure out. It’s definitely not that I find them to be a set of arbitrary behavioural norms that serve as a tool of exclusionary tribalism and that eschewing the rituals of cultural performance facilitates the fostering of new relationships by having both sides step out of their preconceived societal modes.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“What about you, Mr Asano? What are you looking for in a woman?” “Evil genius,” Jason said casually. “Evil genius?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “Why not? Smart, confident, assertive, driven. What’s not to like?” “The evil?” Cassandra ventured. “That could be a problem long-term,” Jason acknowledged. “Maybe what I need is a naughty genius.” He thought it over for a moment as an impish grin took over his face. “Yeah,” he said, voice purring. “That sounds exactly right.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“Don’t muddy the waters unless muddy water is useful to you.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“Does it make you feel better to disrespect things others find meaningful?”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“I decided early on that I was going to be who I am and people could take it or leave it. Like me or hate me, I’ll take passion over ambivalence. It lets me know who to avoid and who to be friends with. It makes for a better life.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 2

“The trowel looked rather sinister, made out of some kind of black metal with a red sheen. It carried the wear marks of having been used as a planting tool, but also had a razor edge that seemed wholly unnecessary for gardening purposes. “Blood cult?” Jason read unhappily from the item description. “Who gardens with an evil trowel?”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“I need to go in the other room. This is getting awkward and I left my thinly-veiled excuse to leave you two alone in there.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 6

“An interesting fact about the goddess of knowledge is that she knows everything that anyone in this world knows, including me. Which means she knows a bunch of Mario Kart shortcuts, which is kind of awesome.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“This is Colin,” Jason said. “He needs a moment to gather himself together. When a super god was trying to possess me, he’s the one who had my back. He’s been with me from almost the very start and he has two purposes in life: adorable little dances and devouring every living thing on a planet.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 4

“This is an important opportunity, son, but while I know you admire Mr Asano, do not lose sight of how dangerous he is.” “We are all dangerous, Father. We have all slain many monsters.” “That’s not what I mean. You need not fear the man who kills, for all you need to do is be better. Fear the man who kills, then smiles and laughs like it is any other day. There is no line such a man will not cross, whatever he might tell you. Or tell himself.” “I don’t think he’s like that,” Itsuki said. “Look at the things he’s done. It’s clear how hard he’s trying to be a good man.” “Exactly,” Koya said. “Good men don’t have to try.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 5

“People. Are. Vegetarians,” he yelled through gritted teeth. Every word punctuating a strike to the knee. “Vegetables. Aren’t. People-tarians!”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“Do you have aristocracy in your world?” “Sure,” Jason said. “We’re slowly phasing it out in favour of wealth-based oligarchy, but it’s still around.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“Political favour is for today, Mr Asano. Integrity is forever.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights With Monsters 7

“Simple, however, is not the same thing as easy.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 2

“The street is in an extradimensional city I’m taking over so a hole doesn’t get blasted in the side of the universe. Mondays, am I right?”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 6

“What did I tell you about swearing?” “That it’s an arbitrary assignment of negative value to words with no inherent negative value based on outmoded moral strictures,”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 4

“Jason said. “When someone believes something, they believe it hard. Too hard. They’ll dismiss good evidence that contradicts their belief and accept spurious evidence”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 2

“I wasn’t trying to make a pun. If I was, I’d have done better.” “There is no better with puns, Mr Asano. There is only worse.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights With Monsters 7

“Manipulation isn’t bad, in and of itself,” Jason said. “Look at it this way: if you have the choice between manipulating someone into doing the right thing, or punishing them for doing the wrong thing, which is more moral? Pushing someone onto a better path and to do the right thing done, or having the wrong thing done and hurting the person for doing it? Righteous honesty says to be upright and put the moral decision onto the other person. But what is more important? Feeling righteous or putting a little more good into the world?”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters

“People mostly fail at things because they balk at what they have to do. It's not that the path isn't there but that they aren't willing to walk it.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters 2

“Don’t worry about him, Mose,” Humphrey said. “Just remember that if you’re talking to Jason and you get confused, he’s probably up to something. If you’re talking to Jason and you’re not confused, then he’s definitely up to something.”
― Shirtaloon, He Who Fights with Monsters