Ruthlessness Quotes

“The bodies in my floor all trusted someone. Now I walk on them to tea.”
― Victoria Schwab, A Darker Shade of Magic

“He’d wanted me to believe in his ruthlessness.
Then I remembered his words from so long ago: Make me your villain.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

“You don't write a novel out of sheer pity any more than you blow a safe out of a vague longing to be rich. A certain ruthlessness and a sense of alienation from society is as essential to creative writing as it is to armed robbery.”
― Nelson Algren, Nonconformity: Writing on Writing

“An ordinary man gets arrogant with beauty, conceited with knowledge and ruthless with power.”
― Amit Kalantri

“The only men ruthless enough to fight against tyranny were themselves inclined to it.”
― Susan Wise Bauer, The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome

“Unless they're utterly heartless, people put a certain value on human life. It keeps us from killing each other off for no reason. But for leaders like you and me, a moral high ground is too absolute. There are choices to be made.”
― Amanda Bouchet, A Promise of Fire

“Destroying someone's life could be remarkably cathartic.”
― Kate McNeil, Thistles

“Politicians are a higher breed of men. They know that this world is ruthless and that they must live accordingly to cope with it”
― Bangambiki Habyarimana, The Great Pearl of Wisdom

“They are as smart as they are ruthless. That's why they've been around for all five years.”
― Joe Reyes, Aftermath

“He'd been given an assignment to write about teen beauty pageants [...], which he'd accepted because he enjoyed blood sports as much as the next person.”
― David Baldacci, The Christmas Train

“Clusters of distant lights was the view of Mankind that he liked the best. The lights had the archaic charm of little fires on a plain, and the frailty about them, if it did not excuse anything, at least explained a lot of Man's stubborn ruthlessness. Mankind had not started the mess that was life, after all. And on the whole, it had been an interesting species to be a part of, the girls especially, as long as you remembered to watch your back.”
― Jean-Christophe Valtat, Aurorarama

“You must firmly, absolutely and ruthlessly protect your safety and sanity.”
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

“All humankind is born of the same inner goodness and fundamental ruthlessness as all the other creatures of nature. Man can never totally divorce himself from the beast that comprises part of his essential nature. It is not that our inner natures are entirely self-centered or completely filled with goodness. We can choose to make moral or immoral choices.”
― Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls

“Why would insults matter to me? Insults were insults, what could they do? A superficial person would be angry due to curses and would be happy due to praises. These were just bystanders’ ways of looking at you. Those who lived according to others’ points of view were really pitiful. They are just pawns, merely restrained dogs. What truly stalls a person’s success is not talent, but the mindset. Criticize, trying to impart these morals to the people, not allowing others to have more freedom than them. In this process, they would even enjoy this ridiculous moral superiority and bliss. Any organization, once a person is born, would impart their morals and rules, constantly brainwashing. Those that want to surpass humanity’s achievements have to break this restraint on their mindset. Sadly, most people are trapped by this their entire lives, using this to move forward with motivation and even use their chained collar as a symbol of pride. A superficial person would be angry due to curses and would be happy due to praises. These were just bystanders’ ways of looking at you. Those who lived according to others’ points of view were really pitiful.”
― Gu Zhen Ren

“Elizabeth was counting on Marco to keep cousin Mary occupied until after the board meeting was over. A piece of cheese might catch a mouse, but an afternoon alone with a muscular masseur would ensnare her cousin far more effectively. And afterwards, while Mary lay sated and sleeping upon a massage table, wiser heads could determine the company's future. There were times, Elizabeth thought, when success in business demanded utter ruthlessness.”
― Barbara Taylor Bradford, Being Elizabeth

“You’re one cruel bastard,” she managed to get out.

He tsked with his tongue. “Everyone says that.” Then he took hold of her chin and locked his gaze with hers. “Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind – you know that. And sometimes, it takes a bastard to see it through.”
― Dianna Hardy, The Last Dragon

“His eyes were the same color as steel and not nearly as soft.”
― P.N. Elrod, Dark Road Rising

“There are families here, Baru.” There are families everywhere, Baru thought. That has never stopped anyone: except the people who lose.”
― Seth Dickinson, The Monster Baru Cormorant

“You cannot accomplish anything in this world without power,' he said. 'And power requires sacrifice, focus, and ruthlessness.”
― Carissa Broadbent, The Serpent and the Wings of Night

“IN WORKING WITH MIRRORS IT IS NECESSARY TO RECAPITULATE YOUR ENTIRE LIFE, FROM THE PRESENT MOMENT RIGHT BACK TO THE MOMENT OF BIRTH. SUCH A RECAPITULATION DEMANDS A LEVEL OF HONESTY WHICH IS ONLY ATTAINABLE THROUGH AN ACT OF RUTHLESSNESS. RUTHLESSNESS MUST BEGIN WITH YOURSELF. ONLY WHEN RUTHLESSNESS HAS REPLACED SELF-PITY CAN YOU ACHIEVE THE SOBRIETY NEEDED IN ORDER TO DISCRIMINATE WITH WISDOM.”
― Théun Mares

“Corporations may be ruthless at times, but rarely as ruthless as poverty is.”
― George Hammond

“I mean, if I am going to invest in a new model, I'd have to be sure there's a market.

We will create a market, said Claire with surprising ruthlessness. That's how business works.

That's how late capitalism works, I said.”
― Jeanette Winterson, Frankissstein: A Love Story

“In this world, where the strong prey upon the weak, and the cunning manipulate the naive, it is imperative that you become the master of your own thoughts. Allow yourself to explore the darkest corners of your mind, for it is in these shadows that the seeds of power are sown. Visualize the life you desire, unfettered by moral constraints or social expectations, and embrace the ruthless pursuit of your ambitions.”
― Kevin L. Michel, Machiavellian Dreams: A Manual

“Recognize that the world is a stage upon which the drama of power unfolds, and it is through the exercise of your imagination that you can devise strategies and plots to bend others to your will. The more vivid and detailed your mental picture of the life you desire, the more effectively you can wield your cunning and ruthlessness to achieve your goals. Remember, your imagination is your ultimate weapon, and it is by mastering this sovereignty that you will be able to shape the world according to your desires.”
― Kevin L. Michel, Machiavellian Dreams: A Manual

“I had decided that it is the fate of my generation never to have known the noble law of the sea, and to live, instead, in an era when the captain leaves his ship not last, but first. Call it the new spirit of capitalism, ushered in with all the other forms of ruthlessness that mark contemporary times [Kushner, Rachel, Diary, London Review of Books, January 14, 2015].”
― Rachel Kushner

“The arifa knew the ways to slay ademon and was always chosen 'because he has the wisdom to be ruthless without being cruel', to know when kindness is in fact the way to greater cruelty.”
― Frank Herbert, Children of Dune

“Pure ruthlessness was no substitute for careful planning.”
― C.J. Box, Wolf Pack

“What causes evil?" asked Yudhishthira.

"Greed is the ultimate root of every evil. People who covet what they do not have are prone to anger, and become obsessed. They are mean-spirited, enslaved by wanting. Those who pile up wealth for its own sake are often ruthless and contemptuous, despising those less well off than themselves. Lust comes from greed. Dishonesty, ill will, envy, ruthlessness - every kind of sin starts with desiring more than one possesses.

Ignorance springs from the selfsame root. Greed spreads its branches and the mind grows dark, unable to judge clearly...”
― Carole Satyamurti, Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling