Navigators of Dune Quotes

“I have never been attracted to a person’s pretentious demeanor. A gaudy surface often obscures a hidden agenda. Rather, I trust the quiet, unassuming person much more than one who constantly needs to remind others of his accomplishments and embellish them. —EMPEROR RODERICK CORRINO”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“The unexpected is not always a surprise. —Mentat observation”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“In desperation we may agree to pay any price. Only later do we learn the true cost. —MENTAT PEARTEN, new Lampadas school archives”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“For every scientist who dedicates his life to helping humanity, there are ten thousand fools who are just as willing to destroy. —PTOLEMY, Zenith Archives”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“While lashing out against an insult can provide a certain gratification, a long-anticipated and carefully planned revenge is far more satisfying. —DIRECTEUR JOSEPH VENPORT, private conversation with his wife, Cioba”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“The enemy of my enemy can still betray me. The enemy of my enemy can still kill me. —EMPEROR RODERICK CORRINO I”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“If you perceive that a person holds power over you, whether or not it is true, then your weakness is very real. —MANFORD TORONDO, final Lampadas rally”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“When receiving an unexpected gift, a wise man does not ask too many questions. Only the foolish person assumes that a gift is simply a gift, and that there are no implied obligations. —DIRECTEUR JOSEF VENPORT, Venport Holdings consolidation memo”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“Each life has numerous crossroads, paths taken and paths avoided. After each such crux-point, one should examine the thought processes that went into the significant decisions, the opportunities grasped, the successes and failures. The same is true with personal relationships. All important things in life can be distilled down to personal relationships. —Old Earth philosopher (name unknown)”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“To negotiate, both parties must want something that is tangible and compatible. If one party wishes only the destruction of the other, no solution can exist. —Landsraad League records, Salusan proceedings”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“An Emperor rules through wealth, military might, alliances, and influence. But he keeps his rule through the wisdom of his decisions, the respect of his subjects, and the momentum of history. Should he lose any one of those factors, his position is greatly weakened.”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“Those without a true sense of history fail to see how volatile and transient human leadership is, even on the scale of empires. When viewed from the perspective of a mere lifetime, we tend to see our governmental structures as permanent and unchangeable. This is entirely false. —FAYKAN CORRINO I, first Emperor after the Butlerian Jihad”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“There are those who see influence and power as a reward rather than a responsibility. Such men do not make good leaders. —DIRECTEUR JOSEF VENPORT, internal Venport Holdings memo”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune

“The cymek walkers marched forward like monsters from the greatest nightmares of mankind, smashing buildings into rubble, slaughtering crowds as if they were massed insects.”
― Brian Herbert, Navigators of Dune