--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Here lies a toppled god. His fall was not…" description: "\"Here lies a toppled god. His fall was not a small one. We did but build his pedestal, A narrow and a tall one.\" — Frank Herbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a1/frank-herbert-262_fall_here-lies-a-toppled-god-his-fall-was-not_1672266.jpg" --- # Here lies a toppled god. His fall was not a small one. We… ![“Here lies a toppled god. His fall was not a small one. We did but build his pedestal, A narrow and a tall one.” quote by Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a1/frank-herbert-262_fall_here-lies-a-toppled-god-his-fall-was-not_1672266.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a1/frank-herbert-262_fall_here-lies-a-toppled-god-his-fall-was-not_1672266.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a1/frank-herbert-262_fall_here-lies-a-toppled-god-his-fall-was-not_1672266.jpg) > “Here lies a toppled god. His fall was not a small one. We did but build his pedestal, A narrow and a tall one.” [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. A god-like figure fell because humanity built an overly lofty pedestal for him, leading to his downfall. **In simple terms:** Prideful structures cause downfall. Key Takeaway Beware of elevating leaders beyond reach. Themes power hubris fall Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political leadership - corporate governance - celebrity culture Key Concepts ego authority societal structures Questions to Reflect On - What leaders have you seen fall after being idolized? - How can societies keep power balanced? A Different Perspective Overidealization can create unrealistic expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [God Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-fall-418228/) [Lies Toppled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies-toppled-873090/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Pedestal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pedestal/) [Toppled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toppled-873089/) [Toppled God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toppled-god-873088/) ## Related quotes > [ISIS controls a territory roughly the size of Maryland where 8 million people live. If it's attacked and toppled, who will fill the void?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/isis-controls-a-territory-roughly-the-size-of-maryland-where-8/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [We all of us need to be toppled off the throne of self, my dear," he said. "Perched up there the tears of others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-goudge/we-all-of-us-need-to-be-toppled-off-the-throne-of-self-my-dear-he/) [Elizabeth Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-goudge/) > [“One of the floral arrangements swayed like a drunken sailor, then toppled, clattering to the floor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-dempsey/one-of-the-floral-arrangements-swayed-like-a-drunken-sailor-then/) [Diana Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-dempsey/) > [Partly what I'm writing about is the way taboos get toppled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/partly-what-i-m-writing-about-is-the-way-taboos-get-toppled/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [“I give up, God. You made me. You know how I am. I cannot keep my distance. Nor can I keep those I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deeanne-gist/i-give-up-god-you-made-me-you-know-how-i-am-i-cannot-keep-my-distance/) [Deeanne Gist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deeanne-gist/) > [To become spiritual, you must die to self, and come alive in the Lord. Only then will the mysteries of God fall from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/to-become-spiritual-you-must-die-to-self-and-come-alive-in-the-lord/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Those who call me God, will fall into the deep pit of hell. Regard me as one of his slaves and have no doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-gobind-singh/those-who-call-me-god-will-fall-into-the-deep-pit-of-hell-regard-me/) [Guru Gobind Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-gobind-singh/) > [“But the false serpent persuaded Adam that he must still do something to become like God: he must achieve that likeness by deciding and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/but-the-false-serpent-persuaded-adam-that-he-must-still-do-something-2/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“When two people come together in God, the walls that appear to separate us disappear. The beloved doesn’t seem to be a mere mortal.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/when-two-people-come-together-in-god-the-walls-that-appear-to/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“When I arrived the News was three years old and Ed Lotterman was on the verge of a breakdown. To hear him talk you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/when-i-arrived-the-news-was-three-years-old-and-ed-lotterman-was-on/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr-2/for-the-natural-man-is-an-enemy-to-god-and-has-been-from-the-fall-of/) [Joseph Smith Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr-2/) > [Man can rise upto god or fall till evil.man is a ladder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/man-can-rise-upto-god-or-fall-till-evil-man-is-a-ladder/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How can you know when you are trusting in man rather than in God? If you fall apart when someone else lets you down,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilkerson/how-can-you-know-when-you-are-trusting-in-man-rather-than-in-god-if/) [David Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilkerson/) > [It is our wisest and our safest course to stand at the farthest distance from sin; not to go near the house of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/it-is-our-wisest-and-our-safest-course-to-stand-at-the-farthest/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [“One of the dangers in prayer is to try to find words that will be somehow on the level of God. Unfortunately, as none…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bloom/one-of-the-dangers-in-prayer-is-to-try-to-find-words-that-will-be/) [Anthony Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bloom/) ## 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 Fall quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [To hurry through the rise and fall of a fine, full sentence is like defying the role of time in human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/to-hurry-through-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-fine-full-sentence-is-like/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“We will all, at some point in our lives, fall. Every single one of us. We shouldn't spend our time trying to avoid falling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/we-will-all-at-some-point-in-our-lives-fall-every-single-one-of-us-we/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [How wonderful it would be to scatter words as they rise to consciousness, to let them lie where they fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/how-wonderful-it-would-be-to-scatter-words-as-they-rise-to/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [My life is a crystal teardrop. There are snowflakes falling in the teardrop and little figures trudging in slow motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/my-life-is-a-crystal-teardrop-there-are-snowflakes-falling-in-the/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [Life will knock you down & it's tough, but you are strong enough. Get back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-will-knock-you-down-it-s-tough-but-you-are-strong-enough-get/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I was 13, I began relaxing my hair, and that meant when I turned 18 it began to crack and fall off, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/when-i-was-13-i-began-relaxing-my-hair-and-that-meant-when-i-turned/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [“If you ever falling but can't see the bottom be glad you can't because at the bottom it's either a soft land or rocks!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelseigh-ashton/if-you-ever-falling-but-can-t-see-the-bottom-be-glad-you-can-t/) [Kelseigh Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelseigh-ashton/) > [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) [Browse all 13,401 Fall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Here lies a toppled god. His fall was not a small one. 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