---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see, gentlemen, they have something…"
description: "\"You see, gentlemen, they have something to die for. They've discovered they're a people. They're awakening.\" — Frank Herbert"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/frank-herbert-262_awakening_you-see-gentlemen-they-have-something-to_2435193.jpg"
---

#  You see, gentlemen, they have something to die for…

![“You see, gentlemen, they have something to die for. They've discovered they're a people. They're awakening.” quote by Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/frank-herbert-262_awakening_you-see-gentlemen-they-have-something-to_2435193.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/frank-herbert-262_awakening_you-see-gentlemen-they-have-something-to_2435193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/frank-herbert-262_awakening_you-see-gentlemen-they-have-something-to_2435193.jpg)

> “You see, gentlemen, they have something to die for. They've discovered they're a people. They're awakening.”

[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.

The quote suggests that a people’s awakening to a cause gives them purpose and willingness to sacrifice.

**In simple terms:** Awakening to a cause fuels sacrifice.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate shared purpose.

Themes

politics identity motivation

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- social movements
- nationalist campaigns
- activist gatherings

Key Concepts

collective consciousness revolutionary zeal existential purpose

Questions to Reflect On

- What causes a collective to find a cause?
- How does shared identity affect personal risk?

A Different Perspective

May overlook individual dissent within the group.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Awakening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awakening/) [Gentleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gentleman/) [Gentlemen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gentlemen/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

## Related quotes

> [Friends are discovered rather than made; there are people who are in their own nature friends, only they don't know each other; but certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/friends-are-discovered-rather-than-made-there-are-people-who-are-in/)

[Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/)

> [I've discovered people in my lifetime who are like, 'I always wanted to sing but... ' It's like, 'Well then, did you try?' My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tyree-henry/i-ve-discovered-people-in-my-lifetime-who-are-like-i-always-wanted-to/)

[Brian Tyree Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tyree-henry/)

> [But I discovered that people like me -- they do, you know, if you like them -- and then it was all right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-wynne-jones/but-i-discovered-that-people-like-me-they-do-you-know-if-you-like/)

[Diana Wynne Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-wynne-jones/)

> [We talk about people being narrow-minded when they have a limited sense of possibility. Well, that’s exactly what they are. They are narrow-frequencied, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/we-talk-about-people-being-narrow-minded-when-they-have-a-limited/)

[David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/)

> [“I believe the people who are most successful are those committed to bringing out the best in other people through awakening &amp; empowerment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/i-believe-the-people-who-are-most-successful-are-those-committed-to/)

[Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/)

> [“I felt a thrill—a new civil affinity budding in my dreams and in the brick-and-mortar city, simultaneously: that we, the people, were awakening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aspen-matis/i-felt-a-thrill-a-new-civil-affinity-budding-in-my-dreams-and-in-the/)

[Aspen Matis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aspen-matis/)

> [“In the final days of Empire, When the people were awakening, It was your smile red carnation which told us that all was being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/in-the-final-days-of-empire-when-the-people-were-awakening-it-was/)

[victor hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/)

> [And now, gentlemen, like your manners, I must leave you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-thomas/and-now-gentlemen-like-your-manners-i-must-leave-you/)

[Dylan Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-thomas/)

> [“Gentlemen always walk ladies home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriellyn-gidman/gentlemen-always-walk-ladies-home/)

[Gabriellyn Gidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriellyn-gidman/)

> [Gentlemen and maidens in this general vicinity, how doth it go?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-killings/gentlemen-and-maidens-in-this-general-vicinity-how-doth-it-go/)

Ron Killings

> [Being male is a matter of birth, being a man is a matter of age, but being a gentlemen is a matter of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-male-is-a-matter-of-birth-being-a-man-is-a-matter-of-age-but/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Smile, but not for long, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Patriarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelly-kaplan/smile-but-not-for-long-ladies-and-gentlemen-of-the-patriarchy/)

Nelly Kaplan

> [The Perfect Gentleman~~~\| ¢ Gives Her One of His T-Shirts to Sleep In, ¢ Give Her One of His Hobbies; To Wear so everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/the-perfect-gentleman-gives-her-one-of-his-t-shirts-to-sleep-in-give/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [Gentlemen prefer blondes, but take what they can get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-herold/gentlemen-prefer-blondes-but-take-what-they-can-get/)

[Don Herold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-herold/)

> [Books, gentlemen, are a species of men, and introduced to them you circulate in the "very best society" that this world can furnish, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/books-gentlemen-are-a-species-of-men-and-introduced-to-them-you/)

[Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/)

## 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 Awakening quotes

> [It is natural that our minds replay old stories, because that is our own mechanism for trying to work out unresolved problems. Yet rerunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/it-is-natural-that-our-minds-replay-old-stories-because-that-is-our/)

[Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/)

> [Imitation is the first instinct of the awakening mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/imitation-is-the-first-instinct-of-the-awakening-mind/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/)

[Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/)

> [Dawn's faint breath breathes with your mouth at the ends of empty streets. Gray light your eyes, sweet drops of dawn on dark hills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/dawn-s-faint-breath-breathes-with-your-mouth-at-the-ends-of-empty/)

[Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/)

> [“Low states are a like a poison to the psyche. Millions of people throughout the world take tranquillizers each day to combat depression, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belsebuub/low-states-are-a-like-a-poison-to-the-psyche-millions-of-people/)

[Belsebuub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belsebuub/)

> [The awakening of the soul to its bondage and its effort to stand up and assert itself - this is called life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-awakening-of-the-soul-to-its-bondage-and-its-effort-to-stand-up/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [My political awakening, if I can be as grand as to call it that, was all about what was happening around me. It wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/my-political-awakening-if-i-can-be-as-grand-as-to-call-it-that-was/)

[Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/)

> [How often have you sailed in my dreams. And now you come in my awakening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-often-have-you-sailed-in-my-dreams-and-now-you-come-in-my/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“CWC (Church Women Concerned) enabled us as women in that part of South Africa, to see ourselves as ordinary citizens who found themselves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sindiwe-magona/cwc-church-women-concerned-enabled-us-as-women-in-that-part-of-south/)

Sindiwe Magona

> [I feel there is a great spiritual awakening on the planet right now. More than any previous time, people are drawn to meditation, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agapi-stassinopoulos/i-feel-there-is-a-great-spiritual-awakening-on-the-planet-right-now/)

[Agapi Stassinopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agapi-stassinopoulos/)

> [When I was 20 years old, I got cast in 'Spring Awakening' and got swept up in this experience where it was kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-groff/when-i-was-20-years-old-i-got-cast-in-spring-awakening-and-got-swept/)

[Jonathan Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-groff/)

> [Motivation is awakening own mind and Inspiration is arising spirit in others to find their own with their heart and soul in all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj/motivation-is-awakening-own-mind-and-inspiration-is-arising-spirit-in/)

[Anuj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj/)

> [“Everything we perceive to be solid and static is made up of almost entirely empty space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/everything-we-perceive-to-be-solid-and-static-is-made-up-of-almost/)

[Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/)

> [Life is perhaps best regarded as a bad dream between two awakenings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-o-neill/life-is-perhaps-best-regarded-as-a-bad-dream-between-two-awakenings/)

[Eugene O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-o-neill/)

> [“The Illusion - The source of suffering can be linked back to a condition of the mind that creates the illusion of separation--the state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-blanchard/the-illusion-the-source-of-suffering-can-be-linked-back-to-a/)

L.M.Blanchard

[Browse all 1,440 Awakening quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awakening/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You see, gentlemen, they have something to die for. They've discovered they're a people. They're awakening.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Frank Herbert"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/you-see-gentlemen-they-have-something-to-die-for-they-ve-discovered/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Awakening"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/you-see-gentlemen-they-have-something-to-die-for-they-ve-discovered/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/frank-herbert-262_awakening_you-see-gentlemen-they-have-something-to_2435193.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/frank-herbert-262_awakening_you-see-gentlemen-they-have-something-to_2435193.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/frank-herbert-262_awakening_you-see-gentlemen-they-have-something-to_2435193.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You see, gentlemen, they have something to die for. They've discovered they're a people. They're awakening.” — 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": "You see, gentlemen, they have something...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/you-see-gentlemen-they-have-something-to-die-for-they-ve-discovered/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/you-see-gentlemen-they-have-something-to-die-for-they-ve-discovered/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
