--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dictatorships foster oppression…" description: "\"Dictatorships foster oppression, dictatorships foster servitude, dictatorships foster cruelty; more abominable is the fact that they foster idiocy.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/jorge-luis-borges-275_cruelty_dictatorships-foster-oppression-dictator_928887.jpg" --- # Dictatorships foster oppression, dictatorships foster… ![“Dictatorships foster oppression, dictatorships foster servitude, dictatorships foster cruelty; more abominable is the fact that they foster idiocy.” quote by Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/jorge-luis-borges-275_cruelty_dictatorships-foster-oppression-dictator_928887.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/jorge-luis-borges-275_cruelty_dictatorships-foster-oppression-dictator_928887.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/jorge-luis-borges-275_cruelty_dictatorships-foster-oppression-dictator_928887.jpg) > “Dictatorships foster oppression, dictatorships foster servitude, dictatorships foster cruelty; more abominable is the fact that they foster idiocy.” [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dictatorships create oppression, servitude, cruelty, and stupidity, showing how absolute power corrupts all aspects of society. **In simple terms:** Tyranny breeds oppression and foolishness. Key Takeaway Resist authoritarianism. Themes politics power corruption Mood critical somber Type political philosophical When to use this quote - activism - education - policy reform - community building Key Concepts authoritarianism human nature Questions to Reflect On - How does power affect moral judgment? - What can individuals do to counter oppression? A Different Perspective Even small resistance can be suppressed by brutal regimes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Dictatorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictatorship/) [Dictatorships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictatorships/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Idiocy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiocy/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppression/) [Servitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servitude/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not a prophet, but I always thought it was natural for dictatorships to fall. I remember in 1989, two months before the fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-m-not-a-prophet-but-i-always-thought-it-was-natural-for/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“The experiences of other totalitarian dictatorships show that behind the centralized and hierarchical communication and decision-making structures, apparently so clearly ordered by way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-gieseke/the-experiences-of-other-totalitarian-dictatorships-show-that-behind/) Jens Gieseke > [Every one of the world's dictatorships can and does claim to be acting in the name of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-h-greene/every-one-of-the-world-s-dictatorships-can-and-does-claim-to-be/) [Harold H. Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-h-greene/) > [Dictatorships don't always die when the dictator leaves office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-nasheed/dictatorships-don-t-always-die-when-the-dictator-leaves-office/) [Mohamed Nasheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-nasheed/) > [In our modern age - in the age of free information - I don't think there is any place for dictatorships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashid-al-ghannushi/in-our-modern-age-in-the-age-of-free-information-i-don-t-think-there/) [Rashid al-Ghannushi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashid-al-ghannushi/) > [“attained democracy, as brutal dictatorships took over, led to the cynical phrase: "One man, one vote-one time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/attained-democracy-as-brutal-dictatorships-took-over-led-to-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The reason that democracies always defeat dictatorships is because they're open to debate. We should never allow Washington to say, 'Shut up, get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/the-reason-that-democracies-always-defeat-dictatorships-is-because/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [I am the product of living in dictatorships. And someone who's lived in dictatorships and not being allowed to be themselves, it cherishes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-heinz/i-am-the-product-of-living-in-dictatorships-and-someone-who-s-lived/) [Teresa Heinz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-heinz/) > [Dictatorships start wars because they need external enemies to exert internal control over their own people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-perle/dictatorships-start-wars-because-they-need-external-enemies-to-exert/) [Richard Perle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-perle/) > [History proves that dictatorships do not grow out of strong and successful governments, but out of weak and helpless ones. 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Willow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-willow-wilson/) > [Famine and unemployment are the raw material for dictatorships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-tsipras/famine-and-unemployment-are-the-raw-material-for-dictatorships/) [Alexis Tsipras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-tsipras/) > [The all but unanimous judgment seems to be that we, the democracies, are just as responsible for the rise of the dictators as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/the-all-but-unanimous-judgment-seems-to-be-that-we-the-democracies/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [All democracies turn into dictatorships - but not by coup. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/all-democracies-turn-into-dictatorships-but-not-by-coup-the-people/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [The most effective way to restrict democracy is to transfer decision-making from the public arena to unaccountable institutions: kings and princes, priestly castes, military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-most-effective-way-to-restrict-democracy-is-to-transfer-decision/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More by Jorge Luis Borges > [“No hables a menos que puedas mejorar el silencio.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/no-hables-a-menos-que-puedas-mejorar-el-silencio/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Like all writers, he measured the achievements of others by what they had accomplished, asking of them that they measure him by what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/like-all-writers-he-measured-the-achievements-of-others-by-what-they/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [How can we manage to illuminate the pathos of our lives?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/how-can-we-manage-to-illuminate-the-pathos-of-our-lives/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Loneliness does not worry me; life is difficult enough, putting up with yourself and with your own habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/loneliness-does-not-worry-me-life-is-difficult-enough-putting-up-with/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [The fact is that all writers create their precursors. Their work modifies our conception of the past, just as it is bound to modify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-fact-is-that-all-writers-create-their-precursors-their-work/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I don't think we're capable of knowledge, but I like to keep an open mind. 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I don't have in mind an exclusive public, or a public of multitudes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/when-i-write-i-do-it-urged-by-an-intimate-necessity-i-don-t-have-in/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [The mind was dreaming. The world was its dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-mind-was-dreaming-the-world-was-its-dream/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I foresee that man will resign himself each day to new abominations, and soon that only bandits and soldiers will be left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/i-foresee-that-man-will-resign-himself-each-day-to-new-abominations/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [“If I could live again - I will travel light, If I could live again - I'll try to work bare feet at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/if-i-could-live-again-i-will-travel-light-if-i-could-live-again-i-ll/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Every man should be capable of all ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/every-man-should-be-capable-of-all-ideas/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Writing is only a guided dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/writing-is-only-a-guided-dream/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) [Explore all 558 Jorge Luis Borges quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) ## More Cruelty quotes > [It revealed a cruelty that really made one wonder if the universe was such a good idea after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/it-revealed-a-cruelty-that-really-made-one-wonder-if-the-universe-was/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [Nature is pitiless; she never withdraws her flowers, her music, her fragrance, and her sunlight from before human cruelty or suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nature-is-pitiless-she-never-withdraws-her-flowers-her-music-her/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [There's a certain edge about cruelty. If you're honest about it, most people wince, but say it had to be said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-waterman/there-s-a-certain-edge-about-cruelty-if-you-re-honest-about-it-most/) [Pete Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-waterman/) > [He lacked tenderness; he was rude; and he had more than a streak of cruelty in him; he was a thief and a liar.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-du-maurier/he-lacked-tenderness-he-was-rude-and-he-had-more-than-a-streak-of/) [Daphne du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-du-maurier/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) James Nayler > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [Regarding lack of vision or disabilities of the organ of sight, it has long been known among researchers that it is the effect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-heindel/regarding-lack-of-vision-or-disabilities-of-the-organ-of-sight-it-has/) [Max Heindel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-heindel/) > [“When you’re a monster, she thought, you are thanked and praised for not behaving like a monster. 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