Frank Herbert Quotes

Quotes about:

• 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.

  Frank Herbert

  Government, Class, Aristocracy

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

  47 Copy quote

• The undeserving maintain power by promoting hysteria.

  Frank Herbert

  Hysteria, Undeserving, Promoting

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

  16 Copy quote

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

  Frank Herbert

  War, Government, Personality

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

  61 Copy quote

• 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.

  Frank Herbert

  Inspirational, Motivational, Death

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

  96 Copy quote

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

  Frank Herbert

  War, Power Corrupts, Magnet

  "Chapterhouse: Dune".

  11 Copy quote

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

  Frank Herbert

  Love, Inspirational, Life

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

  95 Copy quote

• 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.

  Frank Herbert

  Mistake, Taken, Thinking

  5 Copy quote

• Belief can be manipulated. Only knowledge is dangerous.

  Frank Herbert

  Belief, Dangerous, Knowledge Is Dangerous

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

  13 Copy quote

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

  Frank Herbert

  Art, Candid, Concealing

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

  14 Copy quote

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

  Frank Herbert

  Humanity, Contribution, Oneself

  28 Copy quote

• 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.

  Frank Herbert

  Stronger, Principles, Your Freedom

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

  13 Copy quote

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

  Frank Herbert

  Inspirational, Funny, Life

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

  65 Copy quote

• 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.

  Frank Herbert

  Government, Law, Personal Qualities

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

  11 Copy quote

• The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but have only one course of action in mind.

  Frank Herbert

  Life, Trust, People

  "The Plowboy Interview: Frank Herbert". "Mother Earth News", No. 69, May/ June 1981.

  16 Copy quote

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

  Frank Herbert

  Lying, Ifs

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

  14 Copy quote

• Reason is the first victim of strong emotion.

  Frank Herbert

  Strong, Firsts, Emotion

  Frank Herbert (2008). “Dune Messiah”, p.20, Penguin

  13 Copy quote

• If I'd been born in my grandfather's time, I'd have made my grandfather's mistakes. Theres no doubt of it. I just don't want to make my grandfather's mistakes today.

  Frank Herbert

  Life, Mistake, Advice

  5 Copy quote

• Remember: Bureaucracy elevates conformity ... Make that elevates 'fatal stupidity' to the status of religion.

  Frank Herbert

  Stupidity, Conformity, Remember

  Frank Herbert (1987). “Chapterhouse: Dune”, p.96, Penguin

  7 Copy quote

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

  Frank Herbert

  Freedom, Discipline, History

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

  35 Copy quote

• Absolute power does not corrupt absolutely, absolute power attracts the corruptible.

  Frank Herbert

  Power, Political, Doe

  25 Copy quote

• 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

  Teacher, Children, Educational

  22 Copy quote

• Ideas are a dime a dozen. It's execution that counts.

  Frank Herbert

  Ideas, Dimes, Dozen

  25 Copy quote

• Small souls who seek power over others first destroy the faith those others might have in themselves.

  Frank Herbert

  Soul, Might, Firsts

  Frank Herbert (2010). “God Emperor Of Dune: The Fourth Dune Novel”, p.218, Hachette UK

  9 Copy quote

• 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, Men, May

  Frank Herbert (2008). “Dune Messiah”, p.99, Penguin

  15 Copy quote

• Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty.

  Frank Herbert

  Adventure, Errors, Atheism

  Frank Herbert (2008). “Children of Dune”, p.275, Penguin

  9 Copy quote

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