---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To understand why dictators have a…"
description: "\"To understand why dictators have a problem with making peace - or at least a genuine peace - the link between the nature of a regime and its external b..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/natan-sharansky-14573_behavior_to-understand-why-dictators-have-a-probl_2234842.jpg"
---

#  To understand why dictators have a problem with making…

![“To understand why dictators have a problem with making peace - or at least a genuine peace - the link between the nature of a regime and its external behavior must be understood.” quote by Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/natan-sharansky-14573_behavior_to-understand-why-dictators-have-a-probl_2234842.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/natan-sharansky-14573_behavior_to-understand-why-dictators-have-a-probl_2234842.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/natan-sharansky-14573_behavior_to-understand-why-dictators-have-a-probl_2234842.jpg)

> “To understand why dictators have a problem with making peace - or at least a genuine peace - the link between the nature of a regime and its external behavior must be understood.”

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Understanding dictators requires linking regime type to external actions, especially regarding peace.

**In simple terms:** Study regime nature to grasp peace issues.

Key Takeaway

Analyze political structures for peace.

Themes

dictatorship peace political analysis

Mood

analytical serious

Type

political academic

When to use this quote

- policy making
- academic research
- diplomacy
- human rights advocacy

Key Concepts

international relations regime theory conflict resolution

Questions to Reflect On

- How does regime type affect peace?
- What examples illustrate this link?

A Different Perspective

Complexities may oversimplify individual motives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Dictators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictators/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Making peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-peace/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/)

## Related quotes

> [To understand why dictators fall, it helps to recognise factors that produce a perfect anti-dictatorial storm. Barring missteps such as those that led to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/to-understand-why-dictators-fall-it-helps-to-recognise-factors-that/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [Free nations generally look for ways to deal with dictators amicably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/free-nations-generally-look-for-ways-to-deal-with-dictators-amicably/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [Bashar al-Assad's henchmen stomped on the hands of famed Syrian cartoonist Ali Farzat. Our dictators tailor wounds to suit their victims' occupations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-eltahawy/bashar-al-assad-s-henchmen-stomped-on-the-hands-of-famed-syrian/)

[Mona Eltahawy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-eltahawy/)

> [“I cannot forget the figures of Slobodan Milošević, Charles Taylor and Saddam Hussein, who made terrified fiefdoms out of their "own" people and mounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-cannot-forget-the-figures-of-slobodan-milo-evi-charles-taylor-and/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [Dictators can always consolidate their tyranny by an appeal to patriotism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/dictators-can-always-consolidate-their-tyranny-by-an-appeal-to/)

[Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/)

> [Dictators don't come from elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lukashenko/dictators-don-t-come-from-elections/)

[Alexander Lukashenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lukashenko/)

> [America does not stand with dictators, and we never will and we shall never.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/america-does-not-stand-with-dictators-and-we-never-will-and-we-shall/)

[Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/)

> [Tyrants and dictators have incited hatred against ethnic and religious minorities for centuries in order to consolidate power for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-menendez/tyrants-and-dictators-have-incited-hatred-against-ethnic-and/)

[Bob Menendez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-menendez/)

> [When I was in high school in the early 1970s, we knew we were running out of oil; we knew that easy sources were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-safina/when-i-was-in-high-school-in-the-early-1970s-we-knew-we-were-running/)

[Carl Safina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-safina/)

> [America has had to deal with eccentric dictators in the past: Idi Amin, Muammar Qaddafi, Ming the Merciless... but now the security of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/america-has-had-to-deal-with-eccentric-dictators-in-the-past-idi-amin/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [Illicit trade corrupts corporations and governments alike, allows dictators to survive, and obscures oppression, including modern day slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharan-burrow/illicit-trade-corrupts-corporations-and-governments-alike-allows/)

[Sharan Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharan-burrow/)

> [You can do business with America or the authoritarian dictators of Beijing, who oppress their own people, put millions of Muslims in concentration camps,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/you-can-do-business-with-america-or-the-authoritarian-dictators-of/)

[Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/)

> [The people will demand answers from all the dictators and the people who have not allowed this country to function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawaz-sharif/the-people-will-demand-answers-from-all-the-dictators-and-the-people/)

[Nawaz Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawaz-sharif/)

> [Dictators always look good until the last minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-garrigue-masaryk/dictators-always-look-good-until-the-last-minutes/)

[Tomas Garrigue Masaryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-garrigue-masaryk/)

> [We immerse ourselves in escapist mass entertainment, such as 'reality T.V.' programs. We support fanatical politicians and preachers. Our politicians, in turn, support dictators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-myers/we-immerse-ourselves-in-escapist-mass-entertainment-such-as-reality-t/)

[Brendan Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-myers/)

## More by Natan Sharansky

> [The only peace that can be made with a dictator is once that must be based on deterrence. For today, the dictator may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/the-only-peace-that-can-be-made-with-a-dictator-is-once-that-must-be/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [Democratic leaders, whose power is ultimately dependent on popular support, are held accountable for failing to improve the lives of their citizens. Therefore, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/democratic-leaders-whose-power-is-ultimately-dependent-on-popular/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [On the other hand, if the free world is concerned with how a new Palestinian leader governs, then the peace process will have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/on-the-other-hand-if-the-free-world-is-concerned-with-how-a-new/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [To go again over the history of the struggle of resistance ... and to think 'Where are all these people today Where is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/to-go-again-over-the-history-of-the-struggle-of-resistance-and-to/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [Those who warned that Gorbachev was being put under too much pressure were wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/those-who-warned-that-gorbachev-was-being-put-under-too-much-pressure/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [Unfortunately, little attention was paid to how Arafat ruled. In fact, some saw the harsh and repressive nature of Arafat's regime as actually bolstering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/unfortunately-little-attention-was-paid-to-how-arafat-ruled-in-fact/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [It is important to remember that some of the most serious thinkers once thought that democracy was not compatible with the cultures of Germany,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/it-is-important-to-remember-that-some-of-the-most-serious-thinkers/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [Will dissent be permitted? The answer to that question will determine whether the society is a free society or a fear society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/will-dissent-be-permitted-the-answer-to-that-question-will-determine/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [When did America forget that it's America?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/when-did-america-forget-that-it-s-america/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [They tried their best to find a place where I was isolated. But all the resources of a superpower cannot isolate the man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/they-tried-their-best-to-find-a-place-where-i-was-isolated-but-all/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [Japan is not a Western democracy. The Japanese have kept their traditions, culture and heritage, but they have joined the community of free nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/japan-is-not-a-western-democracy-the-japanese-have-kept-their/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [Arafat rejected the deal because, as a dictator who had directed all his energies toward strengthening the Palestinians hatred toward Israel, Arafat could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/arafat-rejected-the-deal-because-as-a-dictator-who-had-directed-all/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [Of course, there can be serious injustices within free societies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/of-course-there-can-be-serious-injustices-within-free-societies/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [My theory is that security - also against terror - can only be accomplished through global democratization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/my-theory-is-that-security-also-against-terror-can-only-be/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

> [Free nations generally look for ways to deal with dictators amicably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/free-nations-generally-look-for-ways-to-deal-with-dictators-amicably/)

[Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

[Explore all 46 Natan Sharansky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/)

## More Behavior quotes

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/)

[Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/)

> [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/)

[Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/)

> [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/)

[Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/)

> [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/)

Burne Hogarth

> [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/)

[Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/)

> [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/)

J. Willard Gibbs

> [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/)

[Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/)

> [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/)

[Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/)

> [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/)

[Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/)

> [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/)

[Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/)

> [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

[Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "To understand why dictators have a problem with making peace - or at least a genuine peace - the link between the nature of a regime and its external behavior must be understood.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Natan Sharansky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/to-understand-why-dictators-have-a-problem-with-making-peace-or-at/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Behavior"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/to-understand-why-dictators-have-a-problem-with-making-peace-or-at/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/natan-sharansky-14573_behavior_to-understand-why-dictators-have-a-probl_2234842.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/natan-sharansky-14573_behavior_to-understand-why-dictators-have-a-probl_2234842.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/natan-sharansky-14573_behavior_to-understand-why-dictators-have-a-probl_2234842.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To understand why dictators have a problem with making peace - or at least a genuine peace - the link…” — Natan Sharansky",
                "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": "Natan Sharansky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "To understand why dictators have a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/to-understand-why-dictators-have-a-problem-with-making-peace-or-at/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/to-understand-why-dictators-have-a-problem-with-making-peace-or-at/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```