--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think this is the case in the great…" description: "\"I think this is the case in the great majority of authoritarian states: on the surface, because of repression, everything seems frozen, but when the su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/aung-san-45789_authoritarian_i-think-this-is-the-case-in-the-great-ma_2923995.jpg" --- # I think this is the case in the great majority of… ![“I think this is the case in the great majority of authoritarian states: on the surface, because of repression, everything seems frozen, but when the sun comes out and the ice melts, you find that there was a lot of life underneath all along.” quote by Aung San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/aung-san-45789_authoritarian_i-think-this-is-the-case-in-the-great-ma_2923995.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/aung-san-45789_authoritarian_i-think-this-is-the-case-in-the-great-ma_2923995.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/aung-san-45789_authoritarian_i-think-this-is-the-case-in-the-great-ma_2923995.jpg) > “I think this is the case in the great majority of authoritarian states: on the surface, because of repression, everything seems frozen, but when the sun comes out and the ice melts, you find that there was a lot of life underneath all along.” [Aung San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authoritarian regimes appear frozen, but hidden life emerges when oppression lifts **In simple terms:** Oppression hides vitality that resurfaces when freedom returns Key Takeaway Recognize hidden resilience in repressed societies Themes politics resilience change Mood analytical hopeful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - historical analysis - human rights activism - cultural revival Key Concepts totalitarianism social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What triggers the emergence of hidden life? - How can external support foster that emergence? A Different Perspective Hidden life may remain suppressed despite change ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authoritarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarian/) [Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ice/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Repression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repression/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Many of us were a little to early to assume that the most logical uses of the internet in authoritarian states would be to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/many-of-us-were-a-little-to-early-to-assume-that-the-most-logical/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [When a government forcibly holds enough people indefinitely without trial, it evokes the kinds of raids, detention, and abuses of power associated with authoritarian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/when-a-government-forcibly-holds-enough-people-indefinitely-without/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [Fact check: The examples of failed socialism that critics use are not socialist democracies but authoritarian states led by corrupt, ruthless, and paranoid dictators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaboukie-young-white/fact-check-the-examples-of-failed-socialism-that-critics-use-are-not/) [Jaboukie Young-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaboukie-young-white/) > [We boast of being one of the oldest democracies in existence and it is a point of pride for many of us that British…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-moran/we-boast-of-being-one-of-the-oldest-democracies-in-existence-and-it/) [Layla Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layla-moran/) > [The organism is thus being preconditioned for the spontaneous acceptance of what is offered. Inasmuch as the greater liberty involves a contraction rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/the-organism-is-thus-being-preconditioned-for-the-spontaneous/) [Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/) > [North Korea aside, most authoritarian governments have already accepted the growth of the Internet culture as inevitable; they have little choice but to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/north-korea-aside-most-authoritarian-governments-have-already/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [“Just as in the Trump-Giuliani Ukraine conspiracy, we saw a ruthless, single-minded obsession with staying in power; a manifest lack of moral values, shame,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-yovanovitch/just-as-in-the-trump-giuliani-ukraine-conspiracy-we-saw-a-ruthless/) Marie Yovanovitch > [Why do economists fall in love with authoritarian governments?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasheng-huang/why-do-economists-fall-in-love-with-authoritarian-governments/) Yasheng Huang > [We are not and will never be an authoritarian regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/we-are-not-and-will-never-be-an-authoritarian-regime/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [Even more than comparing society to a family, comparing it to a body makes an authoritarian ordering of society seem inevitable, immutable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/even-more-than-comparing-society-to-a-family-comparing-it-to-a-body/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [“Democracy can exist only in the countries where people are brave! Coward nations always live under the authoritarian regimes!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/democracy-can-exist-only-in-the-countries-where-people-are-brave/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“If you care about other people, that's now a very dangerous idea. If you care about other people, you might try to organize to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-care-about-other-people-that-s-now-a-very-dangerous-idea-if/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Cumulatively, American society is sliding toward a new form of 'authoritarian democracy'. Elections continue, free speech is generally protected, institutions operate in accordance with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/cumulatively-american-society-is-sliding-toward-a-new-form-of/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [We very clearly do not want an authoritarian regime... setting standards in the world marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratcliffe/we-very-clearly-do-not-want-an-authoritarian-regime-setting-standards/) [John Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratcliffe/) > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) ## More by Aung San > [We cannot bank our hopes on possibilities. We must put our trust in ourselves, in our capabilities and efforts and strength and preparations not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/we-cannot-bank-our-hopes-on-possibilities-we-must-put-our-trust-in/) [Aung San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san/) > [It would be consistent and proper for us to join the war for democratic freedom, only if we would likewise be assured that democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/it-would-be-consistent-and-proper-for-us-to-join-the-war-for/) [Aung San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san/) > [I could not, as my father's daughter, remain indifferent to all that was going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/i-could-not-as-my-father-s-daughter-remain-indifferent-to-all-that/) [Aung San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san/) > [I am well aware that there is such a great craving in man for heroism and the heroic, and that hero worship forms not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/i-am-well-aware-that-there-is-such-a-great-craving-in-man-for-heroism/) [Aung San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san/) > [Every thought, every word, and every action that adds to the positive and the wholesome is a contribution to peace. Each and every one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/every-thought-every-word-and-every-action-that-adds-to-the-positive-2/) [Aung San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san/) > [Those of us who decided to work for democracy in Burma made our choice in the conviction that the danger of standing up for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/those-of-us-who-decided-to-work-for-democracy-in-burma-made-our/) [Aung San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san/) > [Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/within-a-system-which-denies-the-existence-of-basic-human-rights-fear-2/) [Aung San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san/) > [I always think challenges are interesting and help you to become a better person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/i-always-think-challenges-are-interesting-and-help-you-to-become-a/) [Aung San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san/) [Explore all 9 Aung San quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san/) ## More Authoritarian quotes > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [We very clearly do not want an authoritarian regime... setting standards in the world marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratcliffe/we-very-clearly-do-not-want-an-authoritarian-regime-setting-standards/) [John Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratcliffe/) > [Cumulatively, American society is sliding toward a new form of 'authoritarian democracy'. Elections continue, free speech is generally protected, institutions operate in accordance with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/cumulatively-american-society-is-sliding-toward-a-new-form-of/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [“If you care about other people, that's now a very dangerous idea. If you care about other people, you might try to organize to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-care-about-other-people-that-s-now-a-very-dangerous-idea-if/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Democracy can exist only in the countries where people are brave! Coward nations always live under the authoritarian regimes!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/democracy-can-exist-only-in-the-countries-where-people-are-brave/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Even more than comparing society to a family, comparing it to a body makes an authoritarian ordering of society seem inevitable, immutable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/even-more-than-comparing-society-to-a-family-comparing-it-to-a-body/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [We are not and will never be an authoritarian regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/we-are-not-and-will-never-be-an-authoritarian-regime/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [Why do economists fall in love with authoritarian governments?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasheng-huang/why-do-economists-fall-in-love-with-authoritarian-governments/) Yasheng Huang > [“Just as in the Trump-Giuliani Ukraine conspiracy, we saw a ruthless, single-minded obsession with staying in power; a manifest lack of moral values, shame,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-yovanovitch/just-as-in-the-trump-giuliani-ukraine-conspiracy-we-saw-a-ruthless/) Marie Yovanovitch > [North Korea aside, most authoritarian governments have already accepted the growth of the Internet culture as inevitable; they have little choice but to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/north-korea-aside-most-authoritarian-governments-have-already/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [I am the first authoritarian government elected to become a dictator and then resigning as a dictator. So this is the first dictator in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/i-am-the-first-authoritarian-government-elected-to-become-a-dictator/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [There is an authoritarian strain in all of Leftism-- because the bigger the government, the more it controls other peoples' lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/there-is-an-authoritarian-strain-in-all-of-leftism-because-the-bigger/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [My position and the state will never allow me to become a dictator, but an authoritarian style of rule is characteristic of me, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lukashenko/my-position-and-the-state-will-never-allow-me-to-become-a-dictator/) [Alexander Lukashenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lukashenko/) > [You really don't create an authoritarian society unless you control the personal choices including the sexual choices of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-hefner/you-really-don-t-create-an-authoritarian-society-unless-you-control/) [Hugh Hefner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-hefner/) > [The question is: Particularly in the post-9/11 era, are societies becoming more liberal or more authoritarian?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-question-is-particularly-in-the-post-9-11-era-are-societies/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) [Browse all 185 Authoritarian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think this is the case in the great majority of authoritarian states: on the surface, because of repression, everything seems frozen, but when the sun comes out and the ice melts, you find that there was a lot of life underneath all along.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aung San" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/i-think-this-is-the-case-in-the-great-majority-of-authoritarian/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authoritarian" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/i-think-this-is-the-case-in-the-great-majority-of-authoritarian/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/aung-san-45789_authoritarian_i-think-this-is-the-case-in-the-great-ma_2923995.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/aung-san-45789_authoritarian_i-think-this-is-the-case-in-the-great-ma_2923995.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/aung-san-45789_authoritarian_i-think-this-is-the-case-in-the-great-ma_2923995.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think this is the case in the great majority of authoritarian states: on the surface, because of…” — Aung San", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aung San", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think this is the case...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/i-think-this-is-the-case-in-the-great-majority-of-authoritarian/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san/i-think-this-is-the-case-in-the-great-majority-of-authoritarian/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```