Quote of the Week...from Frank Herbert

Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
                                                                                     Frank Herbert.

Frank Hebert was the author of the celebrated Dune science fiction series.  I just finished rereading the first book, simply titled Dune.  The remaining books I haven't read...but I'm getting ready to start on the next one, Dune Messiah.  The interstellar societies in this series, while technologically advanced, are autocratic and steeped in religion, intrigue, and exclusive organizations whose members are obliged to followed their strict discipline and way of thinking.  The protagonist is Paul, a young man who seems to be at the intersection of everyone's prophecies and as such finds himself continually confronted with situations directing his actions and words...he often sees his future as fated, with little freedom to change the tide of history of which he seems to be the center...

Apart from this series, the above quote stands on its own as something pretty profound.  Our true freedom lies in the choices we make...making choices leading to better self-control and positive behavior will lead to more and more opportunities to make further choices...this is the essence of freedom.  When I was a little kid in elementary school, we (and particularly I) would often raise the complaint "This is a free country, isn't it?" whenever one of those annoying grown-ups would come down on us for violating one of their many rules. Well, turns out that those rules serve a purpose: to give a dependable structure to our society where we can better see our options and ultimately have a chance to make good choices with our lives.  But try telling that to a ten-year old as he goes around skipping classes with impunity...

I don't know much about Frank Herbert, and I believe the quote I used is from one of his later Dune novels...so I don't know how he applied his own advice to his own life.  But sound advice is sound advice, no matter where it comes from.  If I consistently make undisciplined choices in the name of personal "freedom", I will eventually find myself more and more in dependency relationships where others have the upper hand over me and my choices will dwindle in degree and quality.  But practicing self-control and understanding the meaning of the word "enough" will engender both a sense of independence from the whims of other people and the ability to live out that true freedom.  I also believe that it is difficult to act in a sincerely loving, generous, merciful, and gracious way toward others while being in the throes of deep dependency that could have been avoided through better life choices.  Of course, we all exist in an interdependent world and I wouldn't want anyone to think I advocate complete independence...and having a personal relationship of dependency on God leads to those better choices, greater true freedom, and the social expression of our higher virtues...