The problem is that the things demanded by an empire, which is staying power, ruthlessness, the ability and the willingness to use its power around the world, it's something that democracies tend to be quite skeptical about.
We must have the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world.
No man can tame a tiger into a kitten by stroking it. There can be no appeasement with ruthlessness. There can be no reasoning with an incendiary bomb.
To save our imperiled honor everything must be sacrificed, even virtue.
I can imagine nothing more wonderful than always wanting to keep a man. It's this NOT wanting to keep them, and yet not quite being able to disentangle one's self, never quite having the ruthlessness to stike at the hands on the gunwale with an oar until they let go - that's the horrible thing.
Selsdon Man is designing a system of society for the ruthlessness and the pushing, the uncaring. His message to the rest is: you're out on your own.
This is a ruthless world and one must be ruthless to cope with it.
The hatred and cruelty which have their source in selfishness are ineffectual things compared with the venom and ruthlessness born of selflessness.
A ruthless man extends his ruthlessness from those he does not love to those he loves.
Simplicity requires ruthlessness.
You have ruthlessness in your bones and ice in your heart, Clarissa. Don't tell me any differently.
Children are remarkable for their intelligence and ardor, for their curiosity, their intolerance of shams, the clarity and ruthlessness of their vision.
Never underestimate the ruthlessness of the ego to keep you in a state of suffering in which you voluntarily participate.
The Great War differed from all ancient wars in the immense power of the combatants and their fearful agencies of destruction, and from all modern wars in the utter ruthlessness with which it was fought.
War is simple, direct, and ruthless.
Disregard for the consequences and for right and wrong nowadays passes as energy.
'So if we can we'll kill every last of the buggers, and if they can they'll kill every last one of us. As for me,' said Ender, 'I'm in favor of surviving'.
In both cases, weakness and scruples had defeated strength and ruthlessness.
'I could kill you like this,' Peter whispered. 'Just press and press until you're dead'.
The ruthlessness born of self-seeking is ineffectual compared with the ruthlessness sustained by dedication to a holy cause. God wishes, said Calvin, that one should put aside all humanity when it is a question of striving for His glory.
