Chapterhouse: Dune (Dune, #6)

by Frank Herbert

Those who would repeat the past must control the teaching of history.

You could measure the urban density of an area by when work stopped. Early to bed and you were in a loosely packed region. Night activity said people remained restless, twitchy with inner awareness of others active and vibrating too near.

“Incomplete suppression of trade in any commodity always increases the profits of the tradesmen, especially the profits of the senior distributors.” His voice was warningly hesitant. “That is the fallacy of thinking you can control unwanted narcotics by stopping them at your borders.”

All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted.

The writing of history is largely a process of diversion. Most historical accounts distract attention from the secret influences behind great events.

Remember: Bureaucracy elevates conformity . . . make that elevates “fatal stupidity” to the status of religion.

Science must be innovative. It brings change. That’s why science and bureaucracy fight a constant war.”

“You organize religions?” “Not quite. The organizational approach to religion is always apologetic. We do not apologize.”

Many things we do naturally become difficult only when we try to make them intellectual subjects. It is possible to know so much about a subject that you become totally ignorant.

Religion (emulation of adults by the child) encysts past mythologies: guesses, hidden assumptions of trust in the universe, pronouncements made in search of personal power, all mingled with shreds of enlightenment. And always an unspoken commandment: Thou shalt not question! We break that commandment daily in the harnessing of human imagination to our deepest creativity.

“There’s no such thing as a social code to meet all necessities. A crime in one society can be a moral requirement in another society.”

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

“Democracy is a stupid idea anyway!” “We agree. It’s demagogue-prone. That’s a disease to which electoral systems are vulnerable. Yet demagogues are easy to identify. They gesture a lot and speak with pulpit rhythms, using words that ring of religious fervor and god-fearing sincerity.”

A major concept guides the Missionaria Protectiva: Purposeful instruction of the masses. This is firmly seated in our belief that the aim of argument should be to change the nature of truth. In such matters, we prefer the use of power rather than force. —THE CODA

“Many histories are largely worthless because prejudiced, written to please one powerful group or another.

The tyranny of the minority cloaked in the mask of the majority.

Humans are born with a susceptibility to that most persistent and debilitating disease of intellect: self-deception. The best of all possible worlds and the worst get their dramatic coloration from it. As nearly as we can determine, there is no natural immunity. Constant alertness is required.

Enter no conflict against fanatics unless you can defuse them. Oppose a religion with another religion only if your proofs (miracles) are irrefutable or if you can mesh in a way that the fanatics accept you as god-inspired. This has long been the barrier to science assuming a mantle of divine revelation. Science is so obviously man-made. Fanatics (and many are fanatic on one subject or another) must know where you stand, but more important, must recognize who whispers in your ear.

Become too conservative and you were unprepared for surprises.

logic is good for playing pyramid chess but often too slow for needs of survival.”