Justice belongs to those who claim it, but let the claimant beware lest he create new injustice by his claim and thus set the bloody pendulum of revenge into its inexorable motion Frank Herbert More Quotes by Frank Herbert More Quotes From Frank Herbert 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. Frank Herbert religious wise mistake Educational bureaucracies dull a child's questing sensitivity. The young must be dampened down. Never let them know how good they can be. That brings change. Spend lots of committee time talking about how to deal with exceptional students. Don't spend any time dealing with how the conventional teacher feels threatened by emerging talents and squelches them because of a deep-seated desire to feel superior and safe in a safe environment. Frank Herbert educational teacher children Revenge is for children and the emotionally retarded. Frank Herbert retarded revenge children The function of science fiction is not always to predict the future but sometimes to prevent it. Frank Herbert sometimes science fiction Madness in method, that's genius Frank Herbert method madness genius If you focus your awareness only upon your own rightness, then you invite the forces of opposition to overwhelm you. Frank Herbert force focus awareness 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. Frank Herbert making-love fighting matter The gift of words is the gift of deception and illusion. Frank Herbert illusion deception Highly organized research is guaranteed to produce nothing new. Frank Herbert produce organized research We sift reality through screens composed of ideas . (And such ideas have their roots in older ideas.) Such idea systems are necessarily limited by language , by the ways we can describe them. That is to say: language cuts the grooves in which our thoughts move. If we seek new validity forms (other laws and other orders) we must step outside language. Frank Herbert cutting reality moving You know it's love when you want to give joy and damn the consequences. Frank Herbert funny-love joy giving Absolute power does not corrupt absolutely, absolute power attracts the corruptible. Frank Herbert political power doe Politics: the art of appearing candid and completely open while concealing as much as possible. Frank Herbert concealing candid art Good subjects must feel guilty. The guilt begins as a feeling of failure. The good autocrat provides many opportunities for failure in the populace. Frank Herbert guilt feelings opportunity Belief can be manipulated. Only knowledge is dangerous. Frank Herbert knowledge-is-dangerous dangerous belief The willow submits to the wind and prospers until one day it is many willows - a wall against the wind. Frank Herbert wall one-day wind Each life creates endless ripples. Frank Herbert ripple endless life When we try to conceal our innermost drives, the entire being screams betrayal. Frank Herbert scream betrayal trying To endure oneself may be the hardest task in the universe. You cannot hire a wise man or any other intellect to solve it for you. There's no writ of inquest or calling of witness to provide answers. Frank Herbert wise may men Kindness is the beginning of cruelty. Frank Herbert cruelty cynicism kindness