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Xom comments on Rationality Quotes February 2012 - Less Wrong
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~ Collected Sayings of Muad'Dib, Irulan, Herbert elder
Is this a recommendation or a warning?
Can't it be both?
In this case that roughly translates to self contradictory advice. Do and do not do. There are plenty of quotes that make just as much sense when reversed and in such cases the quotes themselves contain very information and any actual wisdom must be entirely embedded in the algorithm that selects which quoted meaning to apply in which case.
You can't simultaneously say "aim higher on the margin" and "aim lower on the margin", but you can say "don't aim too high" and "don't aim too low" - or more simply "mind your aim point". It is entirely possible that people miss on both sides and they are simply not being careful enough to avoid either extreme.
Consider it a recommendation to be aware of the trade off, not a recommendation to bias your decisions in any particular direction.
I've never been able to make sense out of that. It sounds very tough and definite, but what does it mean?
This is sort of what I say to remind myself that having read some of something isn't a sufficient reason to finish it.
I pasted it into Google just now and found this article quoting it in a similar context.
I agree. It's not... quite.... complete.
Let's chop it off. (Let's keep it at 0 points).
There, now it's complete.
I guess it's re-stating Antoine de Saint Exupéry's "It seems that perfection is attained not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to remove".
I don't think that's quite right. To me it sounds more like: "In a harsh enough environment, the wrong kind of perfectionism can distract from matters more pertinent to your survival."
The quote needn't be taken as approving. Muad'Dib wanted to avoid the jihad he unleashed, even though he eventually came to see it as necessary. If you take it as neutral reporting of how the Fremen think, it could be taken as a comment on how circumstances shape your thinking, or as a caution against allowing no-longer-extant circumstances to constrain you.
Upvoted because I actually think this phrase as my reminder-keyword on appropriate occasions. E.g. publishing an MOR chapter.