In order to have a change of fortune at the last minute, you have to take your fortune to the last minute. Terry Pratchett More Quotes by Terry Pratchett More Quotes From Terry Pratchett You can't inspire people with facts. They need a cause. They need a symbol. Terry Pratchett inspire people needs Technically, the city of Ankh-Morpork is a Tyranny, which is not always the same thing as a monarchy, and in fact even the post of Tyrant has been somewhat redefined by the incumbent, Lord Vetinari, as the only form of democracy that works. Everyone is entitled to vote, unless disqualified by reason of age or not being Lord Vetinari. Terry Pratchett tyrants democracy cities There is no doubt that being human is incredibly difficult and cannot be mastered in one lifetime. Terry Pratchett being-human lifetime doubt People aren't just people, they are people surrounded by circumstances. Terry Pratchett circumstances people Around it are those countries which, according to History, constitute the civilised world ie, a world that can support historians Terry Pratchett support country history Most armies are in fact run by their sergeants - the officers are there just to give things a bit of tone and prevent warfare becoming a mere lower-class brawl. Terry Pratchett army class running All was black, gloomy and awful. There was no light at the end of the tunnel - or if there was, it was an oncoming train. Terry Pratchett black tunnels light So, mistletoe, in fact, symbolizes mistletoe. Terry Pratchett mistletoe facts There are, almost by definition, an unlimited number of Hells - potentially at least a personal one for every living sapient being. Terry Pratchett hell definitions numbers A number of religions in Ankh-Morpork still practiced human sacrifice, except that they didn't really need to practice any more because they had got so good at it. Terry Pratchett sacrifice practice numbers People who used magic without knowing what they were doing usually came to a sticky end. All over the entire room, sometimes. Terry Pratchett magic knowing people Granny knew all about bad fortune-telling. It was harder than the real thing. You needed a good imagination. Terry Pratchett fortune-telling real imagination A push-and-go wooden duck on wheels can cause quite a lot of damage if wielded with enough force. Terry Pratchett damage ducks causes Not for the first time in the history of the universe, someone for whom communication normally came as effortlessly as a dream was stuck for inspiration when faced with a few lines on the back of a card. Terry Pratchett communication inspiration dream Happiness is not the natural state of mankind, and is never achieved from the outside in. Terry Pratchett mankind states natural Granny Weatherwas was not a jouster in the lists of love, but, as an intelligent onlooker, she knew how the game was played. Terry Pratchett lists intelligent games Granny Weatherwax was firmly against fiction. Life was hard enough without lies floating around and changing the way people thought. Terry Pratchett floating lying people This was the definition of eternity; it was the space of time devised by the Great God Om to ensure that everyone got the punishment that was due to them. Terry Pratchett punishment definitions space You get all sorts of people in the library, and the librarian gets it all. Terry Pratchett librarian library people Humans can think inhuman thoughts. Terry Pratchett inhuman humans thinking