--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even the seemingly immortal gods survive…" description: "\"“Even the seemingly immortal gods survive only as long as they are required by mortal men.”\" — Frank Herbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/frank-herbert-262_quote_even-the-seemingly-immortal-gods-survive_2153791.jpg" --- # Even the seemingly immortal gods survive only as long as… ![“Even the seemingly immortal gods survive only as long as they are required by mortal men.” quote by Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/frank-herbert-262_quote_even-the-seemingly-immortal-gods-survive_2153791.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/frank-herbert-262_quote_even-the-seemingly-immortal-gods-survive_2153791.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/frank-herbert-262_quote_even-the-seemingly-immortal-gods-survive_2153791.jpg) > ““Even the seemingly immortal gods survive only as long as they are required by mortal men.”” [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Gods persist only while humans need them; otherwise they fade. **In simple terms:** Gods exist as long as people believe. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of belief. Themes myth belief power humanity faith Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - religious discourse - philosophical debate - literary analysis Key Concepts existence cultural relevance psychology social constructs Questions to Reflect On - What makes a deity relevant? - How do societies replace old gods? A Different Perspective Belief can be manipulated or lost. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gods Survive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods-survive-2868532/) [Immortal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortal/) [Immortal Gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortal-gods-1436100/) [Mortal Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortal-men-240820/) [Seemingly Immortal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seemingly-immortal-4539502/) ## Related quotes > [The cultures we can look at had already grasped the essential unity of nature. 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Prometheus, knows love & saves them all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truth-devour/the-immortal-gods-the-deities-will-rise-they-will-fall-but-none-will/) [Truth Devour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truth-devour/) > [O mortal men, be wary of how ye judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/o-mortal-men-be-wary-of-how-ye-judge/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [That is the gods' work, spinning threads of death through the lives of mortal men, an all to make a song for those to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/that-is-the-gods-work-spinning-threads-of-death-through-the-lives-of/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [“Unless we find some significance in our lives, we mortal men and women fall very easily into despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/unless-we-find-some-significance-in-our-lives-we-mortal-men-and-women/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“In books I mee the dead as if they were alive, in books I see what is yet to come... 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B: All men are mortal. C: All men are Socrates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/a-socrates-is-a-man-b-all-men-are-mortal-c-all-men-are-socrates/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [To-morrow is the day when idlers work, and fools reform, and mortal men lay hold on heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aulus-persius-flaccus/to-morrow-is-the-day-when-idlers-work-and-fools-reform-and-mortal-men/) [Aulus Persius Flaccus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aulus-persius-flaccus/) > [For what wears out the life of mortal men? 'Tis that from change to change their being rolls; Tis that repeated shocks, again, again,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/for-what-wears-out-the-life-of-mortal-men-tis-that-from-change-to/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) ## More by Frank Herbert > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“A leader, you see, is one of the things that distinguishes a mob from a people. He maintains the level of individuals. Too few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/a-leader-you-see-is-one-of-the-things-that-distinguishes-a-mob-from-a/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“I will tell you this only once. Homosexuals have been among the best warriors in our history, the berserkers of last resort. They were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/i-will-tell-you-this-only-once-homosexuals-have-been-among-the-best/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“Between depriving a man of one hour from his life and depriving him of his life there exists only a difference of degree.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/between-depriving-a-man-of-one-hour-from-his-life-and-depriving-him/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [The surest way to keep a secret is to make someone think they already know the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/the-surest-way-to-keep-a-secret-is-to-make-someone-think-they-already/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“how inevitable it was that the aristocrat would refuse his final duty—which was to step aside and vanish into history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/how-inevitable-it-was-that-the-aristocrat-would-refuse-his-final-duty/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“What we should have done was test the gift first. We should have probed for dangers. We were too bedazzled by it, though.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/what-we-should-have-done-was-test-the-gift-first-we-should-have/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“Have you noticed, Stil, how beautiful the young women are this year?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/have-you-noticed-stil-how-beautiful-the-young-women-are-this-year/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/humans-are-born-with-a-susceptibility-to-that-most-persistent-and/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Face your fears or they will climb over your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/face-your-fears-or-they-will-climb-over-your-back/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Many have marked the speed with which Muad'Dib learned the necessities of Arrakis. The Bene Gesserit, of course, know the basis of this speed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/many-have-marked-the-speed-with-which-muad-dib-learned-the/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“The assumption that a whole system can be made to work better through an assault on its conscious elements betrays a dangerous ignorance. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/the-assumption-that-a-whole-system-can-be-made-to-work-better-through/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [The power to destroy a thing is the absolute control over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/the-power-to-destroy-a-thing-is-the-absolute-control-over-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Providence and Manifest Destiny are synonyms often invoked to support arguments based on wishful thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/providence-and-manifest-destiny-are-synonyms-often-invoked-to-support/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [If you ask "Should we be in space?" you ask a nonsense question. We are in space. We will be in space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/if-you-ask-should-we-be-in-space-you-ask-a-nonsense-question-we-are/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) [Explore all 776 Frank Herbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) ## More Immortal quotes > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [“Death Pretends To be us,only our true selfs are immortal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-serrano/death-pretends-to-be-us-only-our-true-selfs-are-immortal/) [Michael Serrano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-serrano/) > [“She seems strange, pretty, pale, immortal and mystical.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolay-punin/she-seems-strange-pretty-pale-immortal-and-mystical/) [Nikolay Punin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolay-punin/) > [In some respects I will never die. Because art is immortal. What we leave behind and what we create - the energy that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/in-some-respects-i-will-never-die-because-art-is-immortal-what-we/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [We were put here as witnesses to the miracle of life. We see the stars, and we want them. We are beholden to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-were-put-here-as-witnesses-to-the-miracle-of-life-we-see-the-stars/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-man-is-immortal-simply-because-he-will/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [We think literature is immortal, but even that decays and ultimately turns to dust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-farren/we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even-that-decays-and-ultimately/) [Mick Farren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-farren/) > [“Because, well, you're not immortal anymore. At least as far as we know; just because you can bleed doesn't mean you'll grow old and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-khoury/because-well-you-re-not-immortal-anymore-at-least-as-far-as-we-know/) [Jessica Khoury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-khoury/) > [I'm not immortal. I'm not unbeatable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naseem-hamed/i-m-not-immortal-i-m-not-unbeatable/) [Naseem Hamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naseem-hamed/) > [Only cells that had been transformed by a virus or a genetic mutation had the potential to become immortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-skloot/only-cells-that-had-been-transformed-by-a-virus-or-a-genetic-mutation/) [Rebecca Skloot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-skloot/) > [“What is the most amazing thing about the world? 'Every day creatures die, yet the rest live as if immortal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/what-is-the-most-amazing-thing-about-the-world-every-day-creatures/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“What she's learned is what she always learns. Plato was right. We're all of us immortal. We couldn't die if we wanted to. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/what-she-s-learned-is-what-she-always-learns-plato-was-right-we-re/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Eating, drinking, sleeping a little laughter ! much weeping! Is that all ? Do not die here like a worm. Wake up! Attain immortal bliss!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sivananda/eating-drinking-sleeping-a-little-laughter-much-weeping-is-that-all/) [Sivananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sivananda/) > [Light physical is said by Solomon to be sweet, but gospel light is infinitely more precious, for it reveals eternal things, and ministers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/light-physical-is-said-by-solomon-to-be-sweet-but-gospel-light-is/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) [Browse all 1,296 Immortal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Even the seemingly immortal gods survive only as long as they are required by mortal men.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Herbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/even-the-seemingly-immortal-gods-survive-only-as-long-as-they-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Immortal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/even-the-seemingly-immortal-gods-survive-only-as-long-as-they-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/frank-herbert-262_quote_even-the-seemingly-immortal-gods-survive_2153791.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/frank-herbert-262_quote_even-the-seemingly-immortal-gods-survive_2153791.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42c/frank-herbert-262_quote_even-the-seemingly-immortal-gods-survive_2153791.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Even the seemingly immortal gods survive only as long as they are required by mortal men.” — Frank Herbert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Frank Herbert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Even the seemingly immortal gods survive...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/even-the-seemingly-immortal-gods-survive-only-as-long-as-they-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/even-the-seemingly-immortal-gods-survive-only-as-long-as-they-are/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```