Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game Quotes

Humanity does not ask us to be happy. It merely asks us to be brilliant on its behalf. Survival first, then happiness as we can manage it.

I've lived too long with pain. I won't know who I am without it.

They have influence, but no power." "In my experience, influence is power.

While you're governing the colony and I'm writing political philosophy, They'll never guess that in the darkness of night we sneak into each other's room and play checkers and have pillow fights.

But shouldn't they still act like children? They aren't normal. They act like--history. Napoleon and Wellington. Caesar and Brutus.

the power to cause pain is the only power that matters, the power to kill and destroy, because if you can't kill then you are always subject to those who can, and nothing and one will ever save you.

As he thought of it, though, he could not imagine what "just living" might actually be. He had never done it in his life. But he wanted to do it anyway.

From you I can learn things that nobody knows.

I've learned all I'm ever going to learn from you.

Everything we do means something.

Maybe that's who you are, what you remember.

who would expect less?" she said. " You're a Wiggin." " Whatever that means." He said. " It means that you are going to make a difference in the world.

When it comes down to it, though, the real decision is inevitable: If one of us has to be destroyed, let's make damn sure we're the ones alive at the end.

We thought we were the only thinking beings in the universe, until we met you, but never did we dream that thought could arise from the lonely animals who cannot dream each other's dreams.

The kid is scary.

Colonel Graff: We won! That's all that matters.Ender Wiggin: No. The way we win matters.

I didn't want to hurt him!" Ender cried. "Why didn't he just leave me alone!

Carn Carby left, and ender mentally added him to his private list of people who also qualified as human beings.

For the first time, Ender had found a living mind he could admire.

That's why he hates you, because you didn't suffer when he tried to punish you.

Being here alone with nothing to do, I've been thinking about myself too. Trying to understand why I hate myself so badly.

In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him...

Sometimes lies are more dependable than the truth.

Is it some law of human nature that you inevitably become whatever your first commander was?

Home was merely a dull ache in the back of his memory. A tiredness in his eyes.

He had so much damn respect he wanted to scream.

I came because I've spent my whole life in the company of the brother that I hated. Now I want a chance to know the brother that I love, before it's too late, before we're not children anymore.