DUNE and the Litany Against Missing Scenes

Mar 10, 2024

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Ask any fan of the Dune books: what is the Litany Against Fear? They will instantly recite:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
—Herbert, Frank. Dune.

The quote comes early in the book, on page 12 by my reconning. It sets the tone early on: this is not going to be an average science fiction story. This is just the first of many nuggets worth quoting in the book. I have copied hundreds of memorable quotes and passages from the six book series.

The scene in which this happens is subtle and hints at the drama to come. At the beginning of the scene a reverand mother is testing Paul, the protagonist, by exposing him to an excruciating level of pain/torture. But by the end, Paul is testing her: how far can you go?

But if you go see this movie, or any long movie, in the theater there is another fear that you might have of the pain and torture of trying to hold your bladder while watching the movie. But we have a cure: the RunPee app tells you the best time to run and pee during a movie without missing the best scenes.

To that end, I came up with my own version of the Litany Against Fear.

The Litany Against Missing Scenes

I will not hold it in.
Holding is the bladder-burster.
I will acknowledge my need.
I will let RunPee guide me.
When the notification chimes,
there shall be no hesitation.
Swift and sure, I shall run and pee.
Returning, devoid of regret, missing naught.
—Dan Gardner, RunPee Founder/Developer

I’ll be the first to admit, it doesn’t roll of the tongue as smoothly as Herbert’s, but what do you expect? I’m just a software developer who loves movies.

Don’t miss your favorite movie moments because you have to pee or need a snack. Use the RunPee app (Androidor iPhone) when you go to the movies. We have Peetimes for all wide release films every week, including Moana 2, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Kraven the Hunter, Wicked, Gladiator II and coming soon Mufasa: The Lion King, Nosferatu, A Complete Unknown and many others. We have literally thousands of Peetimes—from classic movies through today’s blockbusters. You can also keep up with movie news and reviews on our blog, or by following us on Twitter @RunPee. If there’s a new film out there, we’ve got your bladder covered.

Comments

4 responses to “DUNE and the Litany Against Missing Scenes”

haroldgross

March 10, 2024

LOL! Now that was a great way to start a Sun.

Reply
1. Dan Gardner
  
  March 11, 2024
  
  I’m glad you liked it. It was fun coming up with that.
  
  Reply
Jill Florio

March 10, 2024

I love your humor. This is great. I have the Litany Against Fear written on a note in my wallet. I got the idea from my buddy Chris, who has that too. It’s more useful for life advice than the Bible. (I actually like the messages of Jesus, but something as simple as loving our neighbor is a challenging ask.)

Reply
1. Dan Gardner
  
  March 11, 2024
  
  LOL, let’s ask Anthropic’s GPT “Claude/Opus” to turn the 10 Commandments into something like the Litany Against Fear. 🙂
  
  Here it is:
  
  Sure, here’s a condensed version of the Ten Commandments in the style of the “Litany Against Fear” from Dune:
  
  I must not stray from the path of righteousness.
  Idolatry, profanity, and neglect of the sacred are the faith-killers.
  They are the little-deaths that bring spiritual decay.
  I will face the one true God and keep His commandments.
  I will permit His wisdom to pass over me and through me.
  I will honor my parents, respect life, be faithful, and deal honestly.
  I will be content with what I have and not covet what belongs to others.
  And when temptations have gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see their path.
  Where sin has gone, there will be nothing.
  Only the grace of God will remain, guiding me to a life of purpose and peace.
  
  This version condenses the core principles of the Ten Commandments into a single passage, emphasizing the need to resist various temptations and sins that can lead one astray from a righteous life. It maintains the structure and style of the original “Litany Against Fear,” with the repeated phrases and the idea of facing one’s challenges and letting them pass, while adapting the content to the themes of the Ten Commandments.
  
  Reply