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Thought for the day
From Lexicanum
This article collects all thoughts for the day and similar phrases of Imperial wisdom. They are often used in the Imperium on various papers and reports. While some are organized by subject, the majority of them are organized in an alphabetical order. Try to identify the subject of the phrase; there might be more than one (choose the better one). If your phrase has an author (i.e. the original Imperial author) then also add the name; identify the correct place (organization) and place the quote there.
| subject and/or author | quote | source |
| Death and Life | Call no man happy until he is dead. | Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition), page 23 |
| Curse now the death in vain. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 77 | |
| Death is the servant of the righteous. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 34 | |
| Even a man who has nothing can still offer his life. | W40K 4th edition rulebook | |
| If a job's worth doing it's worth dying for. | Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Proverb | |
| It is better to die for the Emperor than to live for yourself. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition) page 60, Dawn of War | |
| Not Even The Dead Know The End Of War | Codex Craftworld Eldar (3rd Edition), page 4 | |
| No man died in His service that died in vain. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 22 | |
| Only in death does duty end. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition) page 73, Codex Necrons (3rd Edition) page 49 | |
| Serve the Emperor today, tomorrow you may be dead. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 11 | |
| The wise man learns from the deaths of others. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 25 | |
| Life is a prison, death a release | Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 41 | |
| Life is the Emperor's currency, spend it well | Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 48 | |
| the Emperor aka Him, and the Omnissiah | Nothing Can Hide From The Wrath Of The Emperor. | Codex Craftworld Eldar (3rd Edition), page 18 |
| Revere the Omnissiah, for it is the source of all power. | Codex Necrons (3rd Edition), page 54 | |
| Step not from the path of the Emperor. | Codex: Catachans (3rd Edition), page 21 | |
| Submit to his will | Codex Black Templars (4th Edition), page 24 | |
| There is only the Emperor, and he is our shield and protector | Statement of fact, Book of the Astronomican | |
| To serve Him is to worship Him. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 4 | |
| Without Him there is nothing. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 63 | |
| The Emperor knows, the Emperor is watching | Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 38 | |
| Faith and damnation | A small mind is easily filled with faith. | Codex: Imperial Guard (4th Edition), page 60 |
| Damnation is eternal. | Dawn of War | |
| Faith without deeds is worthless. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 20 | |
| Faith is your shield. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 39 | |
| Faith in the Emperor is its own reward | Codex Assassins 2nd Edition, page 8 | |
| Faith, Hate and Ignorance | Codex: Tyranids (4th Edition), page 17 | |
| Fear | Brave are those who know everything yet fear nothing. | Dawn of War |
| Fear denies Faith. | Dawn of War | |
| Fear not the creatures of the jungle but those that lurk within your mind. | Codex: Catachans (3rd Edition), page 22 | |
| No pity! No remorse! No fear!. | Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 37 | |
| Wisdom is the beginning of fear. | Codex Dark Eldar (3rd Edition) page 3, Codex Black Templar page 53 | |
| Heresy | Heresy grows from idleness | Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 44 |
| A moment of laxity spawns a lifetime of heresy. | Codex: Dark Angels (4th Edition), page 90 | |
| Thought begets Heresy; Heresy begets Retribution | Realm of Chaos, Slaves to Darkness, p. 214, Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 59 | |
| An unprotected soul can no more cross the storms of the warp than a heretic can bear the gaze of the Inquisition | Codex Necrons (3rd Edition), page 10 | |
| Hope | Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment. | Codex: Imperial Guard (4th Edition), page 59 |
| Hope is the beginning of unhappiness. | Warhammer 40,000 Compendium, page 71 | |
| Ignorance | Be strong in your ignorance. | Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition), page 15 |
| The difference between heresy and treachery is ignorance | Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 60 | |
| Innocence | Innocence proves nothing | Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 15 |
| Nobody is innocent, there are merely varying levels of guilt | Codex Black Templars (4th Edition), page 28 | |
| Martyrdom | The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Imperium. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 16 |
| The road to purity is drenched in the blood of the martyred. | Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition), page 29 | |
| a Mind | A broad mind lacks focus. | Dawn of War |
| An Empty Mind Is A Loyal Mind | Codex: Craftworld Eldar (3rd Edition), page 8 | |
| A fine mind is a blessing of the Emperor - It should not be cluttered with trivialities. | Codex Necrons (3rd Edition), page 32 | |
| A mind without purpose will wander in dark places. | Dawn of War | |
| A small mind is a tidy mind. | Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader | |
| A suspicious mind is a healthy mind. | Dawn of War | |
| Better crippled in body than corrupt in mind. | Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, page 182 | |
| Examine your thoughts! | Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader | |
| Pain | Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind | Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Assassin Proverb |
| Prayer cleanses the soul, but pain cleanses the body | Codex Black Templars (4th Edition), page 4 | |
| Only the insane have strength enough to prosper. Only those who prosper may truly judge what is sane. | Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Proverb | |
| Success and Victory VS Failure and Defeat | Success is commemorated; Failure merely remembered. | Book of the Astronomican |
| Success is measured in blood; yours or your enemy's. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 52 | |
| Roboute Guilliman Primarch of the Ultramarines | To admit defeat is to blaspheme against the Emperor | Space Hulk (Game), Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition) page 3 |
| Victory needs no explanation, defeat allows none. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 56 | |
| Vigilance | Vigilance is the brother of truth | Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), page 5 |
| Vigilance is your shield | Codex Necrons (3rd Edition), page 10 | |
| Weakness | Doubt is a sign of weakness | Codex Black Templars (4th Edition), page 27 |
| Forgiveness is a sign of weakness. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 74 | |
| Mercy is a sign of weakness. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 69 | |
| alphabetical order | ||
| A | All souls cry out for salvation. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 58 |
| C | Carry the Emperor's will as your torch, with it destroy the shadows. | Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 12 |
| Cowards die in shame. | Dawn of War | |
| E | Excuses are the refuge of the weak | Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 20 |
| F | For those who seek perfection - there can be no rest this side of the grave | Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader |
| H | Hatred is the Emperor's greatest gift to humanity. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 66 |
| Honour, Duty & Obedience. | Codex Dark Eldar (3rd Edition), page 44 | |
| I | Information Is Power | Codex Dark Eldar (3rd Edition), page 38 |
| Know the mutant; kill the mutant. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 54 | |
| Know your destination before you set out | Codex Assassins 2nd Edition, page 5 | |
| N | Never forget, never forgive. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 8 |
| O | Only the awkward question; only the foolish ask twice. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 32 |
| Only The Lost Understand True Terror | Codex Craftworld Eldar (3rd Edition), page 22 | |
| P | Pure in body, pure in heart | Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), page 51 |
| Purge the unclean. | Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), page 18 | |
| R | Ruthlessness is the kindness of the wise | Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 49 |
| S | Study the alien, the better to kill it | Codex: Eldar (3rd Edition), page 3 |
| T | To question is to doubt | Codex Black Templars (4th Edition), page 34 |
| Truth begets hatred | Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 54 | |
| The end justifies the means. | Codex: Imperial Guard (4th Edition), page 61 | |
| Z | Zeal is its own excuse | Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition), page 54 |
Contents |
A
| Accept your lot. |
| A coward seeks compromise. |
| A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords at dawn. |
| A free man is a damned man. |
| All mortal life is folly that does not feed the spirit. |
| A logical argument must be dismissed with absolute conviction! |
| A man subjected to an alien is no man at all. |
| Analysis is the bane of conviction. |
| And they shall know no Fear. |
| Appeasement is a curse. |
| A questioning servant is more dangerous than an ignorant heretic. |
| A single thought of heresy can blight a lifetime of faithful duty. |
| A slave to the Throne is richer by far than a thousand renegades. |
| As our bodies are protected by adamantium, so our souls are protected by loyalty. |
| As the mind to the body so the soul to the spirit, as death to the mortal man so failure to the immortal, such is the price of all ambition. |
| A warrior's faith in his commander is his best armour and his strongest weapon. |
| A weapon cannot substitute for zeal. |
B
| Be grateful of your Master's favour.' |
| Be just and fear naught.' |
| Be pure. |
| Be vigilant and strong. The Emperor knows what evil lurks in the vacillation of a weak fool. |
| Blessed is a closed mind filled with faith. |
| Blessed is the mind too small for doubt. |
| Blind faith is a just cause. |
| By the manner of their death we shall know them. |
| By thy colours will the foe know thee, by thy banners will the foe fear thee. |
C
| Call No Man Happy Until He Is Dead |
| Cease purpose and die. Warhammer 40,000 Compendium p93 |
| Compromise is akin to treachery. |
| Contemplation is the womb of treachery. |
| Crush the alien beneath your tracks. |
D
| Dark dreams lie upon the heart. |
| Death brings its own reward. |
| Death is the only answer. |
| Defile not His Presence. |
| Defile the Mutant. |
| Do not question the Will of the Emperor. |
| Do not wait for Death. |
| Duty prevails. |
| Dying for something is greater than living for nothing. |
E
| Even a man who has nothing can still have faith. |
| Every lone spirit doubts his strength. |
| Exist for the Emperor. |
F
| Faith is Purest when it is Unquestioning. |
| Fear is the Mind Killer. |
| Foolish are those who fear nothing, yet claim to know everything. |
| For a warrior the only crime is cowardice. |
G
| Go forth and vanquish the foe. |
H
| Happiness is a delusion of the weak |
| Hard work conquers everything. |
| Hate enriches. |
| Hate, hate, hate! This is our mantra. |
| He is with us. |
| Heresy must be met with hatred. |
| His Word is Our Strength. |
| Hope is sin. |
| ''''' |
| If a man dies that another should live, that man's spirit shall eat at the Emperor's table. |
| If you cannot speak well of your Master, be silent! |
| Ignorance is bliss. |
| In Nostra Manus - Progenies Futuris. |
| Inspiration grows from the barrel of a gun. |
| Intellect is a mask for traitors. |
| In the darkness a blind man is the best guide. In an age of madness look to the madman to show the way. |
| ''''' |
| It is not the Horror of War that troubles me, but the Unseen Horrors of Peace. |
| It is the bitter tears that the gods weep that bind us to their hearts. |
K
| Kill, kill, kill. |
| Knowledge is half the battle. |
| Knowledge is to be feared. |
| Know your duty! |
L
| Leniency is a sign of weakness. |
| Let faith protect your mind and metal your flesh. |
| Let the alien bow down before our sword. |
| Let the strength of your will match the stone of your walls. |
| Let the wisdom of the Emperor wall round the fortress of your soul. |
| Life is a prison, Death shall be my release. |
| Look to your wargear! |
| Look upon the Emperor's works and tremble! |
M
| Mankind stands on the shoulders of the martyred. |
| May the Emperor's Wrath forever cleanse our souls. |
| Men united in the purpose of the Emperor are blessed in his sight and shall live forever in His memory. |
| My armour is contempt. |
N
| Negotiation is surrender. |
| No Mercy. No Remorse. Just Kill. |
O
| Obedience is the maker of armies. |
| Our enemies cannot stop us. They can only test our faith, strength and courage. |
P
| Peace is Hell. |
| Perseverance and silence are the highest virtues. |
| Place your trust in the Emperor's steel. |
| Power does not reside with the oracle, but with the priests. |
| Power resides in the will of the Righteous. |
| Purge those who are unclean. |
R
| Reason begets Doubt; Doubt begets Heresy. |
| Reason is the cloak of traitors. |
| Rejoice in service! |
| Ruthlessness is the kindness of the wise. |
S
| Save and destroy. |
| Seek no reward but the satisfaction of your Master! |
| Sins hidden in the heart turn all to decay. |
| So it was, so it is, so it ever shall be. |
| Sorrow awaits the foolhardy |
T
| The alien fails because it cannot embrace the Emperor. |
| The brave man always chooses danger. |
| The burden of failure is the most terrible punishment of all. |
| The Cosmos cries out for salvation |
| The dark gods laugh at the foolishness of meek appeasers. |
| The difference between heresy and treachery is ignorance. |
| The dissident invites only retribution. |
| The Emperor asks only that you hate. |
| The Emperor asks only that you obey. |
| The Emperor bestows upon us the gift of intolerance. |
| The Emperor commands: we act. |
| The Emperor's Judgement is a blessing for the faithful. |
| The Emperor's Mercy is neither to forgive nor to forget but to accept. |
| The Emperor will not judge you by your medals and diplomas but by your scars. |
| The foolish man puts his trust in luck, the wise man puts his trust in the Emperor. |
| The graves of the warriors who have given their lives for the Emperor now outnumber the stars themselves. |
| The guilt of heresy weighs heavy on the soul. |
| The justice of your action is measured by the strength of your conviction. |
| The keenest blade is righteous hatred. |
| The lot of courage is to be sacrificed upon the altar of battle. |
| The loyal servant learns to love the lash. |
| The man that sings the Emperor's praise will speak a blessing all his days. |
| The man who has nothing can still have faith. |
| The martyr's grave is the keystone of the Imperium. |
| The mighty have no room for doubt. |
| The mortal burden carried dutifully to its destination is the Emperor's greatest praise. |
| The only reaction to treachery is vengeance. |
| The question not is when, but how, will I die! |
| There are no answers. Only Death. |
| There is no cowardice in faith. |
| There is no fear in conviction. |
| There is no greater glory than a lifetime of dutiful service. |
| There is no substitute for zeal. |
| There is nothing to fear but failure. |
| There is only the Emperor and he is our shield and protector. |
| There is purity of purpose in the faith of the just. |
| The reward for treachery is retribution. |
| The same hammer, that shatters the glass, forges the steel. |
| The seed of heresy rests in the minds of reasonable men. |
| The traitor's hand lies closer than you think. |
| The truly heroic trust in blind faith. |
| The truly wise are always afraid. |
| The weapon slays where the hand wills. |
| The weapon slays where the hand wills. Serve the Emperor! |
| There will be no victory without your sacrifice. |
| The Will of the Emperor is the Might of the Imperium. |
| The wise man learns from the deaths of others. |
| The word of the Emperor is the rule of the Imperium. |
| Thou shalt not. |
| Thought begets heresy. Heresy begets retribution. |
| Through the destruction of our enemies we earn our salvation. |
| Timidity begets indecision; indecision begets treachery. |
| To compromise is to err. |
| To fault the Emperor's word is an act of sedition. |
| To question is to doubt. |
| To question the Emperor's will is to embrace heresy. |
| To withdraw in disgust is not apathy. |
| Treachery is its own reward. |
| True faith is blind and justified. |
| True happiness stems only from duty. |
| Trying to understand weakens the will to act. |
V
| Victory does not always rest with the big guns; but if we rest in front of them, we shall be lost. |
| Victory is simply greater perseverance. |
W
| We are bound by the blood of martyrs. |
| We can rebuild them.1 |
| We will not simply endure - we will prevail! |
| What can a man know of the Universe that knows not his own mind? |
| Who is to know what is possible, until you have attempted the impossible and succeeded. |
| Will is not enough. Act! |
| Within the dark and forgotten places hide the enemies of the Emperor. |
| Words do not win wars. Deeds do. |
| Work earns salvation. |
Y
| You are either for the Emperor or you are His bitter foe. |
| You are not required to think, only to act. |
| Your purpose is greatness. |
Sources
- 1: Warhammer 40,000 Compendium
- 2: Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
- 3: Warhammer 40,000: 4th edition Rulebook
