Andrew

“One of two things will happen,” said the father, “in every battle you fight, either you will die or you will live. Be valiant, then, since death is predetermined. No one may send a man to his grave if it is not his time, and if he is doomed to die, no one can save him. To die running is the worst death of all.”
― Don Hollway, The Last Viking: The True Story of King Harald Hardrada

“Torchlight licked luridly from broken windows and wide-thrown doors, and out of those doors, stale smells of wine and rank sweaty bodies, clamor of drinking-jacks and fists hammered on rough tables, snatches of obscene songs, rushed like a blow in the face.”
― Robert E. Howard, The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian

“This is the ultimate goal of conversational kindness: to convey our recognition of people as they want to be seen—as complex, valuable individuals who are worthy of attention and care. Indeed, acceptance of difference is not an additional requirement for us to remember on top of our TALK skills—it is the point. Everyone we talk to is more than one or two or a few things, and every good conversation involves working mightily to suspend overly simplified stereotypical thinking and treat each human as highly nuanced and uniquely valuable.”
― Alison Wood Brooks, Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves

“We can draw a how-to guide from the TALK maxims to aim for this type of perspective-getting through conversation: Ask caring questions. Show patience and grace if our partner doesn’t really want to answer them. Make self-deprecating jokes about our own inexperience. Use respectful language. Validate their feelings. Listen generously and expressively.”
― Alison Wood Brooks, Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves