Endrew Richard Barros Da Silva's Key Ideas from Dune
by Frank Herbert

The combat is a constant element in Herbert's saga, both in physical and mental ways. One of the many lessons of Ducan Idaho, a great warrior and instructor of the young Paul Atreides, is about observation and how crucial it is in the first moments you face a problem. The eagerness to win may lead us to take rash actions, but deep diving into problems will lead us to the consistency of success:

"Use the first moments in study. You may miss many an opportunity for quick victory this way, but the moments of study are insurance of success. Take your time and be sure."

One of the first things that Leto Atreides, leader of house Atreides, does when he gets to Dune is to see how the spice was collected. During the visit to the desert, a great sand worm attacks a large shipment of spice, but instead of running away or saving the cargo, Leto Atreides face the danger to save the people working there, showing to all of them that the life of his followers worth more than the most valued substance in the universe:

"He risked his life and his son's life to save these men [...]. Such a leader could inspire fanatical loyalty. It would be hard to defeat him."

Paul Atreides (Muad`Dib), protagonist of Dune, learned the way of the desert during his time in Arrakis, from how to save water to how to ride the greate sand worms. However, this didn't happen only because of the circunstances of his birth, but because he knew how to learn:

"Muad'Did learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he could learn. It's shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and how many more believe learning to be difficult. Muad'Dib knew that every experience carries its lesson."