Love is a very ancient force, which served its purpose in its day but no longer is essential for the survival of the species. Frank Herbert More Quotes by Frank Herbert More Quotes From Frank Herbert Science fiction, because it ventures into no man's lands, tends to meet some of the requirements posed by Jung in his explorations of archetypes, myth structures and self-understanding. It may be that the primary attraction of science fiction is that it helps us understand what it means to be human. Frank Herbert selfmenmean Reason is the first victim of strong emotion. Frank Herbert emotionstrongfirsts Life is a mask through which the universe expresses itself. Frank Herbert maskrestorationlife-is Governments do not know what they cannot do until after they cease to be governments. Each government carries the seeds of its own destruction. Frank Herbert seedsdestructiongovernment When I need to identify rebels, I look for men with principles Frank Herbert rebelprinciplesmen 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. Frank Herbert teachinglawchildren If all those around you believe some particular thing, you will soon be tempted to share in that belief. Frank Herbert beliefsharebelieve No matter how much we ask after the truth, self-awareness is often unpleasant. We do not feel kindly toward the Truthsayer. Frank Herbert truthselfmatter If you live in bad faith, lies will appear to you like the truth. Frank Herbert ifslying The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but have only one course of action in mind. Frank Herbert trustlifepeople Caution is the path to mediocrity. Gliding, passionless mediocrity is all that most people think they can achieve. Frank Herbert glidingpeoplethinking Most deadly errors arise from obsolete assumptions. Frank Herbert obsoleteassumptionerrors The oppressed always learned from and copied the oppressor. When the tables were turned, the stage was set for another round of revenge and violence -- roles reversed. And reversed and reversed ad nauseam. Frank Herbert violencetablesrevenge Greatness is a transitory experience. It is never consistent. It depends in part upon the myth-making imagination of humankind. The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he or she is in. That person must reflect what is projected upon him or her. Frank Herbert greatnessimaginationfeelings Beware of the truth, gentle Sister. Although much sought after, truth can be dangerous to the seeker. Myths and reassuring lies are much easier to find and believe. If you find a truth, even a temporary one, it can demand that you make painful changes. Conceal your truths within words. Natural ambiguity will protect you then. Frank Herbert demandbelievelying Laws to suppress tend to strengthen what they would prohibit. Frank Herbert drug-prohibitionlaw The mind can go either direction under stress—toward positive or toward negative: on or off. Think of it as a spectrum whose extremes are unconsciousness at the negative end and hyperconsciousness at the positive end. The way the mind will lean under stress is strongly influenced by training. Frank Herbert trainingstressthinking Governments can be useful to the governed only so long as inherent tendencies toward tyranny are restrained. Frank Herbert tendenciesgovernmentlong Most believe that a satisfactory future requires a return to an idealized past, a past which never in fact existed. Frank Herbert returnbelievepast 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. Frank Herbert imaginationbeautifulorder
