--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men looked at their gods and their…" description: "\"“Men looked at their gods and their rituals and saw that both were filled with that most terrible of all equations: fear over ambition.”\" — Frank Herbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/frank-herbert-262_fear_men-looked-at-their-gods-and-their-ritua_367697.jpg" --- # Men looked at their gods and their rituals and saw that… ![“Men looked at their gods and their rituals and saw that both were filled with that most terrible of all equations: fear over ambition.” quote by Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/frank-herbert-262_fear_men-looked-at-their-gods-and-their-ritua_367697.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/frank-herbert-262_fear_men-looked-at-their-gods-and-their-ritua_367697.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/frank-herbert-262_fear_men-looked-at-their-gods-and-their-ritua_367697.jpg) > ““Men looked at their gods and their rituals and saw that both were filled with that most terrible of all equations: fear over ambition.”” [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. Observes that fear and ambition are linked in worship and ritual. **In simple terms:** Fear and ambition coexist in belief systems. Key Takeaway Balance fear with ambition. Themes faith fear ambition Mood cautionary thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - leadership - personal goals - spiritual practice Key Concepts psychology mythology Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape your ambitions? - Can rituals reduce fear? A Different Perspective Fear can dominate ambition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Equations Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equations-fear-3360564/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-ambition-1971286/) [Looked Gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looked-gods-3360563/) [Men Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-looked-310615/) ## Related quotes > [“He looked up to the gods but never accepted their eternal superiority. For better or worse, plotting their overthrow was the only aspiration that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taona-dumisani-chiveneko/he-looked-up-to-the-gods-but-never-accepted-their-eternal-superiority/) [Taona Dumisani Chiveneko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taona-dumisani-chiveneko/) > [One of the things I realized early in my career is that you do what you believe, in knowing that if you don't, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-dash/one-of-the-things-i-realized-early-in-my-career-is-that-you-do-what/) [Samuel Dash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-dash/) > [“WORTH IT? It is no credit to our phase of civilization if it is fear rather than ambition that drives most of those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-blackburn/worth-it-it-is-no-credit-to-our-phase-of-civilization-if-it-is-fear/) [Simon Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-blackburn/) > [I have no fear, I have only ambition, and I want mine, And I will do anything to protect and feed my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/i-have-no-fear-i-have-only-ambition-and-i-want-mine-and-i-will-do/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [“Damen looked around himself at the gathered men. He looked first to the Prince’s men, instinctively expecting to see his own reaction to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/damen-looked-around-himself-at-the-gathered-men-he-looked-first-to/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“I never saw sad men who looked With such a wistful eye Upon that little tent of blue We prisoners called the sky, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-never-saw-sad-men-who-looked-with-such-a-wistful-eye-upon-that/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Few men looked on her without becoming, in a certain fashion, her lovers. But it was the kind of love that made them not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/few-men-looked-on-her-without-becoming-in-a-certain-fashion-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Men have always looked before and after, and rebelled against the existing order. But for their divine discontent, men would not have been men,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir/men-have-always-looked-before-and-after-and-rebelled-against-the/) [Kabir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir/) > [Men have looked upon the desert as barren land, the free holding of whoever chose; but in fact each hill and valley in it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-e-lawrence/men-have-looked-upon-the-desert-as-barren-land-the-free-holding-of/) [T. E. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-e-lawrence/) > [There is always something to be happy about if we look for it: ‘Two men looked through prison bars, The one saw mud, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/there-is-always-something-to-be-happy-about-if-we-look-for-it-two-men/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [Two men looked out from prison bars, One saw the mud, the other saw stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/two-men-looked-out-from-prison-bars-one-saw-the-mud-the-other-saw/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Men have looked away from themselves and at things so long that they have come to esteem the religious, learned and civil institutions as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/men-have-looked-away-from-themselves-and-at-things-so-long-that-they/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Murtagh was one of those men who always looked a bit startled to find that women had voices, but he nodded politely enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/murtagh-was-one-of-those-men-who-always-looked-a-bit-startled-to-find/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“How small and neat and comically serious the other men looked, with their grey-flecked crew cuts and their button-down collars and their brisk little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/how-small-and-neat-and-comically-serious-the-other-men-looked-with/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“i didn't see anyone!" she said. "who were you shooting at? what happened?" there was a long silence. the men looked at each other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hf-saint/i-didn-t-see-anyone-she-said-who-were-you-shooting-at-what-happened/) [hf saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hf-saint/) ## 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 Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) [Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/) > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) [Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Men looked at their gods and their rituals and saw that both were filled with that most terrible of all equations: fear over ambition.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Herbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/men-looked-at-their-gods-and-their-rituals-and-saw-that-both-were/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fear" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/men-looked-at-their-gods-and-their-rituals-and-saw-that-both-were/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/frank-herbert-262_fear_men-looked-at-their-gods-and-their-ritua_367697.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/frank-herbert-262_fear_men-looked-at-their-gods-and-their-ritua_367697.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/frank-herbert-262_fear_men-looked-at-their-gods-and-their-ritua_367697.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Men looked at their gods and their rituals and saw that both were filled with that most terrible of all…” — 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": "“Men looked at their gods and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/men-looked-at-their-gods-and-their-rituals-and-saw-that-both-were/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/men-looked-at-their-gods-and-their-rituals-and-saw-that-both-were/#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 } } ] } ```