βThat,β replied Hardin, βis the interesting thing. The analysis was the most difficult of the three by all odds. When Holk, after two days of steady work, succeeded in eliminating meaningless statements, vague gibberish, useless qualificationsβin short, all the goo and dribbleβhe found he had nothing left. Everything canceled out. βLord Dorwin, gentlemen, in five days of discussion didnβt say one damned thing, and said it so you never noticed. (LocationΒ 977)
The Spiritual Power, while sufficient to ward off attacks of the Temporal, is not sufficient to attack in turn. Because of the invariable growth of the counteracting force known as Regionalism, or Nationalism, the Spiritual Power cannot prevail. (LocationΒ 1952)