“A person must earn enlightenment, Eragon. It is not handed down to you by others, regardless of how revered they be.”

“How do you control another person? Two ways. Trust, or fear. People and animals will follow you if they trust you. But trust must be earned. And it is earned by people who are good and great. So if you’re neither good nor great, you can only use fear...”

“But ask yourself this Eragon: If gods exist, have they been good custodians of alagaesia? Death, sickness, poverty, tyranny and countless other miseries stalk the land. If this is the handiwork of divine beings, then they are to be rebelled against and overthrown, not given obeisance, obedience, and reverance.”

“Love it, regardless of logic as you say. It must be regardless of logic.”

“You are an enigma, Eragon, a quandary that no one knows how to solve.”

“For some life is incredibly easy, and for others, life is incredibly hard. Regardless of what side you fall on, you will certainly face challenges in your life. It's how you face and overcome these challenges that will ultimately define you as a person.”