Explain the quote “Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty"?

Posted on January 25th, 2010 by admin

from Dune: Chaperhouse by Frank Herbert

It’s claiming that if you actively seek out freedom of thought, you’ll end up following every whim about what you want to do and think. But if you discipline your mind, you’ll find paradoxically it more powerful to explore its possibilities.

(It has to be remembered that a) this is a made-up quotation in a novel, so it isn’t necessarily true and wise; and b) within Herbert’s Dune mythos it’s in the Bene Gesserit Coda, the sayings of an order devoted to psychological/political gaming with powers developed by intense mental discipline, so they’re bound to stress the importance of such discipline).

2 Responses

  1. hy003002 Says:

    This is a very good quotation that explains ‘freedom’ from a good angle.
    It sounds as if some wise man is explaining:
    Don’t say "I’m free" and do what you like, when you like and how you like – regardless of others. It’s not freedom. It’s slavery to one’s desires.
    Be disciplined. in this way you’ll get your true freedom without harming or hurting others.

    I wish we all would.
    References :

  2. RAY G Says:

    It’s claiming that if you actively seek out freedom of thought, you’ll end up following every whim about what you want to do and think. But if you discipline your mind, you’ll find paradoxically it more powerful to explore its possibilities.

    (It has to be remembered that a) this is a made-up quotation in a novel, so it isn’t necessarily true and wise; and b) within Herbert’s Dune mythos it’s in the Bene Gesserit Coda, the sayings of an order devoted to psychological/political gaming with powers developed by intense mental discipline, so they’re bound to stress the importance of such discipline).
    References :
    Herbert fan

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