“There exists no separation between gods and men; one blends softly
casual
into the other.”
—Proverbs of Muad’Dib
“Every civilization must contend with an unconscious force which can
block,
betray or countermand almost any conscious intention of collectivity.”
—Tleilaxu Theorem (unproven)
“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.”
—Words of Muad’Dib
“Once more the drama begins.”
—The Emperor Paul-Muad’Dib
“Truth suffers from too much analysis.”
—Ancient Fremen Saying
“The most dangerous game in the universe is to govern from an oracular
base.
We do not consider ourselves wise enough or brave enough to play that
game.
The measures detailed here for regulation in lesser matters are as near
as
we dare venture to the brink of government. For our purposes, we
borrow
a definition from the Bene Gesserit and we consider the various worlds
as
gene pools, sources of teachings and teachers, sources of the
possible.
Our goal is not to rule, but to tap these gene pools, to learn, and to
free
ourselves from all restraints imposed be dependency and government.”
—The Steersman’s Guide
“Here lies a toppled god–
His fall was not a small one.
We did but build his pedestal,
A narrow and a tall one.”
—Tleilaxu Epigram
“You do not beg the sun for mercy.”
—Muad’Dib’s Travail from the Stilgar Commentary
“No matter how exotic human civilization becomes, no matter the
developments
of life and society nor the complexity of the machine/human interface,
there
always come interludes of lonely power when the course of humankind,
the
very future of human kind, depends upon the relatively simple actions
of
single individuals.”
—from The Tleilaxu Godbuk
“The convoluted wording of legalisms grew up around the necessity to
hide
from ourselves the violence we intend toward each other. Between
depriving
a man of one hour from his life and depriving him of his life there
exists
only a difference of degree. Elaborate euphemisms may conceal
your
intent to kill, but behind any use of power over another the ultimate
assumption
remains: ‘I feed on your energy’.”
—The Emperor Paul-Muad’Dib
“The hearts of all men dwell in the same wilderness.”
—from The Dunebuk of Irulan
“There exists a limit to the force even the most powerful may apply
without
destroying themselves. Judging this limit is the true artistry of
government.
Misuse of power is the fatal sin. The law can not be a tool of
vengeance,
never a hostage, nor a fortification against the martyrs it has
created.
You can not threaten any individual and escape the consequences.
—Muad’Dib on Law
