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Frank Herbert Quotes - Page 8

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

When your opponent fears you, then's the moment when you give the fear its own rein, give it the time to work on him. Let it become terror. The terrified man fights himself. Eventually, he attacks in desperation. That

When your opponent fears you, then's the moment when you give the fear its own rein, give it the time to work on him. Let it become terror. The terrified man fights himself. Eventually, he attacks in desperation. That is the most dangerous moment, but the terrified man can be trusted usually to make a fatal mistake. You are being trained here to detect these mistakes and use them.

Mistake, Fighting, Men

Frank Herbert (2012). “Dune: The Gateway Collection”, p.258, Hachette UK

Control the coinage and the courts — let the rabble have the rest.

Court

Frank Herbert (2008). “God Emperor of Dune”, p.30, Penguin

He who can destroy a thing, can control a thing.

The future remains uncertain and so it should, for it is the canvas upon which we paint our desires. Thus always the human condition faces a beautifully empty canvas. We possess only this moment in which to dedicate ourselves continuously to the sacred presence which we share and create.

Future, Journey, Desire

Frank Herbert (2008). “Children of Dune”, p.311, Penguin

Madness in method, that's genius

Genius, Madness, Method

Frank Herbert (2008). “God Emperor of Dune”, p.376, Penguin

Any road followed precisely to its end leads precisely nowhere.

Ends

Frank Herbert (2003). “Dune”, p.67, Penguin

Providence and Manifest Destiny are synonyms often invoked to support arguments based on wishful thinking.

Destiny, Thinking, Support

"Whipping Star". Book by Frank Herbert, "From The Wreave Commentary"; p. 136, 1969.

In all of my universe I have seen no law of nature, unchanging and inexorable. This universe presents only changing relationships which are sometimes seen as laws by short-lived awareness. These fleshy sensoria which we call self are ephemera withering in the blaze of infinity, fleeting aware of temporary conditions which confine our activities and change as our activities change. If you must label the absolute, use its proper name: Temporary.

Self, Law, Names

"God Emperor of Dune" by Frank Herbert, "The Stolen Journals", 1981.

I give you the chameleon, whose ability to blend itself into the background tells you all you need to know about the roots of ecology and the foundations of a personal identity

Roots, Giving, Identity

Frank Herbert (2008). “Children of Dune”, p.35, Penguin

I'm going to rub your faces in things you try to avoid. I don't find it strange that all you want to believe is only that which comforts you. How else do humans invent the traps which betray us into mediocrity? How else do we define cowardice?

Believe, Trying, Comfort

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

Only gods can safely risk perfection ... it's a dangerous thing for a man.

Men, Perfection, Risk

There is probably no more terrible instant of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man - with human flesh.

Father, Men, Flesh

Frank Herbert (2003). “Dune”, p.96, Penguin

I have no fear, for fear is the little death that kills me over and over. Without fear, I die but once.

Littles, No Fear, Kill Me

Empires do not suffer emptiness of purpose at the time of their creation. It is when they have become established that aims are lost and replaced by vague ritual.

Suffering, Purpose, Empires

Frank Herbert (2008). “Dune Messiah”, p.49, Penguin

I don't worry about inspiration, or anything like that. It's a matter of just sitting down and working.

Inspiration, Worry, Sitting Down

"Shoptalk: learning to write with writers". Book by Donald Morison Murray, 1990.

Something cannot emerge from nothing.

Profound Truth

Frank Herbert (2003). “Dune”, p.185, Penguin

A requirement of creativity is that it contributes to change. Creativity keeps the creator alive.

Creativity, Alive, Requirements

Many things we do naturally become difficult only when we try to make them intellectual subjects. It is possible to know so much about a subject that you become totally ignorant.

Intellectual, Ignorant, Trying

Frank Herbert (1987). “Chapterhouse: Dune”, p.99, Penguin

I live in an apocalyptic dream. My steps fit into it so precisely that I fear most of all I will grow bored reliving the thing so exactly.

Dream, Bored, Steps

Frank Herbert (2008). “Dune Messiah”, p.151, Penguin

Any man who retreats into a cave which has only one opening deserves to die.

Men, Caves, Retreat

Frank Herbert (2003). “Dune”, p.189, Penguin

This is the awe-inspiring universe of magic: There are no atoms, only waves and motions all around. Here, you discard all belief in barriers to understanding. You put aside understanding itself. This universe cannot be seen, cannot be heard, cannot be detected in any way by fixed perceptions. It is the ultimate void where no preordained screens occur upon which forms may be projected. You have only one awareness here—the screen of the magi: Imagination! Here, you learn what it is to be human. You are a creator of order, of beautiful shapes and systems, an organizer of chaos.

Beautiful, Order, Imagination

"Heretics of Dune. Chapter: The Atreides Manifesto, Bene Gesserit Archives". Book by Frank Herbert, 1984.

Give me the judgment of balanced minds in preference to laws every time. Codes and manuals create patterned behavior. All patterned behavior tends to go unquestioned, gathering destructive momentum.

Law, Giving, Mind

Frank Herbert (1987). “Chapterhouse: Dune”, p.218, Penguin

Making workable choices occurs in a crucible of informative mistakes. Thus Intelligence accepts fallibility. And when absolute (infallible) choices are not known, Intelligence takes chances with limited data in an arena where mistakes are not only possible but also necessary.

Mistake, Data, Choices

Frank Herbert (1987). “Chapterhouse: Dune”, p.320, Penguin

What has mood to do with it? You fight when the necessity arises—no matter the mood! Mood's a thing for cattle or making love or playing the baliset. It's not for fighting.

Fighting, Making Love, Matter

Frank Herbert (2003). “Dune”, p.37, Penguin

Give as few orders as possible," his father had told him once long ago. "Once you've given orders on a subject, you must always give orders on that subject.

Motivational, Inspiring, Leadership

Frank Herbert (2010). “Dune”, p.327, Hachette UK

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