Quotes from Frank Herbert

I am not the kind of person I want to be.

Ultimately, all things are known because you want to believe you know.

War is behavior with roots in the single cell of the primeval seas. Eat whatever you touch or it will eat you.

Religion often partakes of the myth of progress that shields us from the terrors of an uncertain future.

War is the most readily available form of chaos.

Peace for any prolonged period of time is impossible. Humans have a natural thirst for chaos and war is the most readily available form of chaos.

When a wise man does not understand, he says: "I do not understand." The fool and the uncultured are ashamed of their ignorance. They remain silent when a question could bring them wisdom.

Education is no substitute for intelligence.

When I need to identify rebels, I look for men with principles

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

Every civilization must contend with an unconscious force which can block, betray, or countermand almost any conscious intention of the collectivity.

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

It is a wise man that does know the contented man is never poor, whilst the discontented man is never rich.

A man is a fool not to put everything he has, at any given moment, into what he is creating.

The hearts of all men dwell in the same wilderness.

When law and duty are one, united by religion, you never become fully conscious, fully aware of yourself. You are always a little less than an individual.

The universe does not work by our rules

To stand alone against all adversity is the most sacred moment of existence.

Unfortunately most criticism is by poseurs. They use their comments about someone else's work as a platform on which to strike poses. What they're really saying is: "Look at me! Look at me!"

The purpose of argument is to change the nature of truth.

Argument closes off the doors of the senses. It always masks violence. Continued too long, argument always leads to violence.

Killing with the point lacks artistry, but don't let that hold your hand when the opening presents itself.

... motivating people, forcing them to your will, gives you a cynical attitude toward humanity. It degrades everything it touches.

Arrakis teaches the attitude of the knife - chopping off what's incomplete and saying: "Now it's complete because it's ended here."