Chapter 33
Posted: 13 Feb 2008 17:55
Above all else, the mentat must be a generalist, not a specialist. It is wise to
have decisions of great moment monitored by generalists. Experts and specialists
lead you quickly into chaos. They are a source of useless nit picking, the
ferocious quibble over a comma. The mentat-generalist, on the other hand, should
bring to decision-making a healthy common sense. He must not cut himself off
from the broad sweep of what is happening in his universe. He must remain
capable of saying: "There's no real mystery about this at the moment. This is
what we want now. It may prove wrong later, but we'll correct that when we come
to it." The mentat-generalist must understand that anything which we can
identify as our universe is merely part of larger phenomena. But the expert
looks backward; he looks into the narrow standards of his own specialty. The
generalist looks outward; he looks for living principles, knowing full well that
such principles change, that they develop. It is to the characteristics of
change itself that the mentat-generalist must look. There can be no permanent
catalogue of such change, no handbook or manual. You must look at it with as few
preconceptions as possible, asking yourself: "Now what is this thing doing?"
-The Mentat Handbook
It is the Day of the Kwisatz Haderach and The Preacher has returned to the steps of Alia's Temple to deliver a message. The holiday is to recognize the deified Paul Atreides as that person who was everywhere simultaneously, the male Bene Gesserit who mingled both male and female ancestry in an inseparable power to become the One-with-All. Alia has issued an order for his arrest for him but has ordered that he be left alone on this day. It is also the 28th day of official mourning for Leto II, six days since his memorial at Old Pass, which was delayed by the Fremen civil war. However, even Fremen in-fighting did not stop the Hajj. Most pilgrams tried to plan for their visit to fall durring this holiday. He says he has come to preach in memory of Leto II. Alia is near the front of the crowd, disguised by her stilsuit and robe, in an attempt to discover his identity. At the end of his sermon, he grabs her by the arm and whispers to her, "Stop trying to pull me once more into the background, sister." The Preacher and the crowd leaves Alia frozen in fear with no doubt that this is Paul, on the steps of her temple wondering what she will do now that everyone has turned against her. Even her inner voices are silent.
have decisions of great moment monitored by generalists. Experts and specialists
lead you quickly into chaos. They are a source of useless nit picking, the
ferocious quibble over a comma. The mentat-generalist, on the other hand, should
bring to decision-making a healthy common sense. He must not cut himself off
from the broad sweep of what is happening in his universe. He must remain
capable of saying: "There's no real mystery about this at the moment. This is
what we want now. It may prove wrong later, but we'll correct that when we come
to it." The mentat-generalist must understand that anything which we can
identify as our universe is merely part of larger phenomena. But the expert
looks backward; he looks into the narrow standards of his own specialty. The
generalist looks outward; he looks for living principles, knowing full well that
such principles change, that they develop. It is to the characteristics of
change itself that the mentat-generalist must look. There can be no permanent
catalogue of such change, no handbook or manual. You must look at it with as few
preconceptions as possible, asking yourself: "Now what is this thing doing?"
-The Mentat Handbook
It is the Day of the Kwisatz Haderach and The Preacher has returned to the steps of Alia's Temple to deliver a message. The holiday is to recognize the deified Paul Atreides as that person who was everywhere simultaneously, the male Bene Gesserit who mingled both male and female ancestry in an inseparable power to become the One-with-All. Alia has issued an order for his arrest for him but has ordered that he be left alone on this day. It is also the 28th day of official mourning for Leto II, six days since his memorial at Old Pass, which was delayed by the Fremen civil war. However, even Fremen in-fighting did not stop the Hajj. Most pilgrams tried to plan for their visit to fall durring this holiday. He says he has come to preach in memory of Leto II. Alia is near the front of the crowd, disguised by her stilsuit and robe, in an attempt to discover his identity. At the end of his sermon, he grabs her by the arm and whispers to her, "Stop trying to pull me once more into the background, sister." The Preacher and the crowd leaves Alia frozen in fear with no doubt that this is Paul, on the steps of her temple wondering what she will do now that everyone has turned against her. Even her inner voices are silent.