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Frank Herbert Quotes

All Quotes Art Atheism Attitude Awareness Balance Belief Chaos Children Choices Desire Dignity Eternity Evil Evolution Failing Fear Fear Of Death Feelings Fighting Free Will Giving Greatness Hate Heart History Humanity Ignorance Inspirational Joy Justice Language Life Logic Lying Mask Mediocrity Myth Past Police Politics Power Prophet Purpose Quality Reality Religion Religion And Politics Revenge Risk Science Science Fiction Sleep Suffering Survival Teaching Time Training Understanding Universe Violence War Water Wealth Wisdom Writing

Power attracts the corruptible. Suspect all who seek it ... We should grant power over our affairs only to those who are reluctant to hold it and then only under conditions that increase that reluctance.

Power attracts the corruptible. Suspect all who seek it ... We should grant power over our affairs only to those who are reluctant to hold it and then only under conditions that increase that reluctance.

Affair, Increase, Should

Frank Herbert (1986). “Chapterhouse: Dune”, Berkley Trade

When I am weaker than you, I ask you for freedom because that is according to your principles; when I am stronger than you, I take away your freedom because that is according to my principles.

Stronger, Principles, Your Freedom

Frank Herbert (2008). “Children of Dune”, p.174, Penguin

Governments, if they endure, always tend increasingly toward aristocratic forms. No government in history has been known to evade this pattern. And as the aristocracy develops, government tends more and more to act exclusively in the interests of the ruling class -- whether that class be hereditary royalty, oligarchs of financial empires, or entrenched bureaucracy.

Government, Class, Aristocracy

Frank Herbert (2008). “Children of Dune”, p.198, Penguin

All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities.

War, Government, Personality

Frank Herbert (1987). “Chapterhouse: Dune”, p.60, Penguin

The undeserving maintain power by promoting hysteria.

Hysteria, Undeserving, Promoting

Frank Herbert (2008). “God Emperor of Dune”, p.306, Penguin

The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.

Love, Inspirational, Life

Frank Herbert (2003). “Dune”, p.35, Penguin

The best contribution one can make to humanity is to improve oneself.

Humanity, Contribution, Oneself

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.

Men, Thinking, Machines

Frank Herbert (2003). “Dune”, p.18, Penguin

Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.

Freedom, Discipline, History

Frank Herbert (1985). “Chapterhouse: Dune”, Putnam Publishing Group

If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets.

Wish, Casts, Fishes

Frank Herbert (2003). “Dune”, p.39, Penguin

The mistakes (of leaders) are amplified by the numbers who follow them without question. Charismatic leaders tend to build up followings, power structures and these power structures tend to be taken over by people who are corruptible. I don't think that the old saw about 'power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely' is accurate: I think power attracts the corruptible.

Mistake, Taken, Thinking

Caution is the path to mediocrity. Gliding, passionless mediocrity is all that most people think they can achieve.

Thinking, People, Gliding

Frank Herbert (2008). “God Emperor of Dune”, p.372, Penguin

Most civilisation is based on cowardice. It's so easy to civilize by teaching cowardice. You water down the standards which would lead to bravery. You restrain the will. You regulate the appetites. You fence in the horizons. You make a law for every movement. You deny the existence of chaos. You teach even the children to breathe slowly. You tame.

Children, Teaching, Law

Frank Herbert (2008). “God Emperor of Dune”, p.330, Penguin

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Inspirational, Motivational, Death

Frank Herbert (2010). “Heretics Of Dune: The Fifth Dune Novel”, p.10, Hachette UK

Politics: the art of appearing candid and completely open while concealing as much as possible.

Art, Candid, Concealing

Frank Herbert (1987). “Chapterhouse: Dune”, p.142, Penguin

The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand.

Knowledge, Caring, Discovery

Frank Herbert (2008). “God Emperor of Dune”, p.150, Penguin

Belief can be manipulated. Only knowledge is dangerous.

Belief, Dangerous, Knowledge Is Dangerous

Frank Herbert (2008). “Dune Messiah”, p.26, Penguin

Good governance never depends upon laws, but upon the personal qualities of those who govern. The machinery of government is always subordinate to the will of those who administer that machinery. The most important element of government, therefore, is the method of choosing leaders.

Government, Law, Personal Qualities

Frank Herbert (2008). “Children of Dune”, p.156, Penguin

There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.

Real, Writing, Stories

Interview with Willis McNelly, www.sinanvural.com. February 3, 1969.

The gravest error a thinking person can make is to believe that one particular version of history is absolute fact. History is recorded by a series of observers, none of whom is impartial. The facts are distorted by sheer passage of time and thousands of years of humanity's dark ages, deliberate misrepresentations by religious sects, and the inevitable corruption that comes from an accumulation of careless mistakes. The wise person, then, views history as a set of lessons to be learned, choices and ramifications to be considered and discussed, and mistakes that should never again be made.

Wise, Religious, Mistake

Never attempt to reason with people who know they are right!

People, Reason, Knows

Frank Herbert (2008). “God Emperor of Dune”, p.234, Penguin

If you live in bad faith, lies will appear to you like the truth.

Lying, Ifs

Frank Herbert (2008). “God Emperor of Dune”, p.364, Penguin

Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.

Inspirational, Funny, Life

"Fictional character: Duke Leto Atreides". "Dune", www.imdb.com. 1984.

Bureaucracy destroys initiative. There is little that bureaucrats hate more than innovation, especially innovation that produces better results than the old routines. Improvements always make those at the top of the heap look inept. Who enjoys appearing inept?

Hate, Thought Provoking, Innovation

Frank Herbert (1987). “Heretics of Dune”, p.201, Penguin

All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible.

War, Power Corrupts, Magnet

"Chapterhouse: Dune".

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