--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a creature has developed into one…" description: "\"When a creature has developed into one thing, he will choose death rather than change into his opposite.\" — Frank Herbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b31/frank-herbert-262_change_when-a-creature-has-developed-into-one-t_2571918.jpg" --- # When a creature has developed into one thing, he will… ![“When a creature has developed into one thing, he will choose death rather than change into his opposite.” quote by Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b31/frank-herbert-262_change_when-a-creature-has-developed-into-one-t_2571918.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b31/frank-herbert-262_change_when-a-creature-has-developed-into-one-t_2571918.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b31/frank-herbert-262_change_when-a-creature-has-developed-into-one-t_2571918.jpg) > “When a creature has developed into one thing, he will choose death rather than change into his opposite.” [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. When an organism is fixed, it prefers death over radical transformation. **In simple terms:** Fixed beings choose death over change. Key Takeaway Embrace adaptability. Themes change identity survival Mood cautious inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career transitions - technological shifts - personal growth Key Concepts evolutionary biology philosophy of self Questions to Reflect On - Why fear transformation? - How to cultivate flexibility? A Different Perspective Resistance can lead to stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) ## Related quotes > [The death-change comes. Death is another life. We bow our heads At going out, we think, and enter straight Another golden chamber of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/the-death-change-comes-death-is-another-life-we-bow-our-heads-at/) [Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/) > [Thirdly, Death is nothing else but a change of a short and temporary for an unalterable and eternal condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pearson/thirdly-death-is-nothing-else-but-a-change-of-a-short-and-temporary/) [John Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pearson/) > [The body is only a garment. How many times you have changed your clothing in this life, yet because of this you would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/the-body-is-only-a-garment-how-many-times-you-have-changed-your/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [Only love and death will change all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/only-love-and-death-will-change-all-things/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [A human being does not cease to exist at death. It is change, not destruction, which takes place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-nightingale/a-human-being-does-not-cease-to-exist-at-death-it-is-change-not/) [Florence Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-nightingale/) > [We often wonder: "How will I be when I die?" The answer to that is that whatever state of mind we are in now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/we-often-wonder-how-will-i-be-when-i-die-the-answer-to-that-is-that/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [“To want more was not just childish, but cowardly, and somehow constpatory too. Death was change; it led to new chances, new vacancies, new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/to-want-more-was-not-just-childish-but-cowardly-and-somehow/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [“You but winnowed out those who have made their pride a funeral shroud." Jaren met Rain's eyes. "Our world has changed, Feyreisen. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-l-wilson/you-but-winnowed-out-those-who-have-made-their-pride-a-funeral-shroud/) [C.L. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-l-wilson/) > [“Nobody cries because of a person's death; death for them is a change of clothes, nothing else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-m-rabolu/nobody-cries-because-of-a-person-s-death-death-for-them-is-a-change/) V.M. Rabolu > [“What is inevitable is not death but change. Change is the only abiding reality. The metaverse evolves, fractally and forever. Saints become sinners, sinners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-charles-wilson/what-is-inevitable-is-not-death-but-change-change-is-the-only-abiding/) [Robert Charles Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-charles-wilson/) > [“The only thing in life that's forever is death. You can change your mind about everything else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/the-only-thing-in-life-that-s-forever-is-death-you-can-change-your/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [Death is never an ending, death is a change; Death is beautiful, for death is strange; Death is one dream out of another flowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-aiken/death-is-never-an-ending-death-is-a-change-death-is-beautiful-for/) [Conrad Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-aiken/) > [Just as a little bird cracks open the shell and flies out, we fly out of this shell, the shell of the body. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-satchidananda/just-as-a-little-bird-cracks-open-the-shell-and-flies-out-we-fly-out/) [Swami Satchidananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-satchidananda/) > [There is no death, only a change of worlds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-seattle/there-is-no-death-only-a-change-of-worlds/) [Chief Seattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-seattle/) > [“We never fully die even in what we think of as actual death. We change again and become echoes in others, and they carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-overby/we-never-fully-die-even-in-what-we-think-of-as-actual-death-we-change/) [Eric Overby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-overby/) ## 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 Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When a creature has developed into one thing, he will choose death rather than change into his opposite.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Herbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/when-a-creature-has-developed-into-one-thing-he-will-choose-death/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/when-a-creature-has-developed-into-one-thing-he-will-choose-death/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b31/frank-herbert-262_change_when-a-creature-has-developed-into-one-t_2571918.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b31/frank-herbert-262_change_when-a-creature-has-developed-into-one-t_2571918.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b31/frank-herbert-262_change_when-a-creature-has-developed-into-one-t_2571918.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When a creature has developed into one thing, he will choose death rather than change into his opposite.” — 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": "When a creature has developed into...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/when-a-creature-has-developed-into-one-thing-he-will-choose-death/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/when-a-creature-has-developed-into-one-thing-he-will-choose-death/#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 } } ] } ```