There existed no need on Caladan to build a physical paradise or a paradise of the mind — we could see the actuality all around us. And the price we paid was the price men have always paid for achieving a paradise in this life — we went soft, we lost our edge. — Muad’Dib: Conversations

My Take – One of the complaints I hear from friends who run businesses is how hard it is to find people who will give a days work for a days pay.  As a society, we’ve become soft in our luxury.  The average lifestyle of an American would make our grandparents faint. We don’t have to work hard, think hard, or hold any real values in order to put food in our mouths and a roof over our heads.  When the life of luxury we have become acquainted with goes away, we are all going to suffer, but most of all, the people who believe that the world owes them a living.

One other thought – You’re not doing your children a favor by making their lives easy.  The arguing, fighting, sullen looks, and silence are worth it if they can stand on their own two feet when they grow up.