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First Sight and Second Thoughts, that’s what a witch had to rely on: First Sight to see what’s really there, and Second
Thoughts to watch the First Thoughts to check that they were thinking right. (W)
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The nose is also the only organ that can see backwards in time. (Th)
'Quis custodiet ipsos custodies? Your grace.’
‘I know that one,’ said Vimes. Who watches the watchmen? Me, Mr Pessimal.’ ‘Ah, but who watches you, your grace?’ said the inspector, with a brief smile. ‘I do that too. All the time,’ said Vimes. (Th) A drawback of invisibility is that no one can see you; it is in fact the main drawback if there is a group of you. (DW)
It's always surprising to be reminded that while you’re watching and thinking about people all knowing and superior, they’re watching and thinking about you, right back at you. (HFS)
Open your eyes, and then open your eyes again. (HFS)
It’s quite easy to accidentally overhear people talking downstairs if you hold an upturned glass to the floorboards and
accidentally put your ear to it. (HFS) ... you are not the only one watching the world. Other people are people; while you watch them they watch you, and they think about you while you think about them. The world isn’t just about you. (MR)
'What’s magic, eh? Just wavin’ a stick an’ sayin’ a few wee magical words. An’ what’s so clever aboot that, eh? But lookin’ at things, really lookin’ at ‘em, and then workin’ ‘em oout, now, that’s a real skill.' (WFM)
People say things like ‘listen to your heart’, but witches learn to listen with other things too. It’s amazing what your kidneys can tell you. (WFM)
Susan did an unusual thing, and listened. That’s not an easy task for a teacher. (TOT)
She could see things that were really there*…
*Which is much harder than seeing things that aren’t there. Everyone does that. (TOT) For something to exist, it has to be observed.
For something to exist, it has to have a position in time and space. And this explains why nine-tenths of the mass of the universe is unaccounted for. Nine-tenths of the universe is the knowledge of the position and direction of everything in the other tenth. Every atom has its biography, every star its file, every chemical exchange its equivalent of the inspector with a clipboard. It is unaccounted for because it is doing the accounting for the rest of it, and you cannot see the back of your own head. Nine-tenths of the universe, in fact, is paperwork. (TOT) It would seem quite impossible, on such a mucky night, that there could have been anyone to witness this scene.
But there was. The universe requires everything to be observed, lest it cease to exist. (TT) MERE ACCUMULATION OF OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE IS NOT PROOF. (H)
... if it is true that the act of observing changes the thing which is observed, it’s even more true that it changes the observer. (SM)
... upon marriage men get a whole set of extra senses bolted into their brain, and one is there to tell a man that he’s suddenly neck deep in real trouble. (HFS)
Sam Vimes could parallel-process. Most husbands can. They learn to follow their own line of thought while at the same time listening to what their wives say. And the listening is important, because at any time they could be
challenged and must be ready to quote the last sentence in full. A vital additional skill is being able to scan the dialogue for telltale phrases, such as ‘and they can deliver it tomorrow’ or ‘so I’ve invited them for dinner’ or ‘they can do it in blue, really quite cheaply’. (FE) ‘Belief in the survival of what is laughably called the soul after death is a primitive superstition which has no place in a dynamic socialist society!’
They looked at him. ‘You don’t tzink,’ said Solomon Einstein, carefully, ‘that it is worth reconsidering your opinions in the light of experimental evidence?’ ‘Don’t think you can get around me just because you’re accidentally right! Just because I happen to find myself still…basically here,’ said William Stickers, ‘does not invalidate the general theory!’ (JD) …a smirk makes a subtle noise if you’re listening for it. (Th)
'I saw a film about this, Sarge,' said another policeman. 'These aliens landed and replaced everyone in the town with giant vegetables.'
'Really? Round here it'd be days before anyone noticed,' said the sergeant. (JD) They were the observers of the operation of the universe, its clerks, its auditors. They saw to it that things spun and rocks fell.
And they believed that for a thing to exist it had to have a position in time and space. Humanity had arrived as a nasty shock. Humanity practically wasthings that didn’t have a position in time and space, such as imagination, pity, hope, history and belief. Take those away and all you had was an ape that fell out of trees a lot. (TOT) ‘... spies?' I thought we were chums with the Low King!’
'Of course we are,’ said Vetinari. ‘And the more we know about each other, the friendlier we shall remain. We’d hardly bother to spy on our enemies. What would be the point?’ (Th) 'Look,’ said Susan, ‘I’d just like you to know that I don’t believe any of this. I don’t believe there’s a Death of Rats in a cowl carrying a scythe.’
‘He’s standing in front of you.’ ‘That’s no reason to believe it.’ ‘I can see you’ve certainly had a proper education'. (SM) |
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The world has lost Sir Terry, and it's so much the poorer for that. Vale Sir Terry. Categories
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