--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes it's better to have a benign…" description: "\"Sometimes it's better to have a benign dictator than a dumb democracy, to be honest.\" — Serj Tankian" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/serj-tankian-7320_being-honest_sometimes-it-s-better-to-have-a-benign-d_2680388.png" --- # Sometimes it's better to have a benign dictator than a… ![“Sometimes it's better to have a benign dictator than a dumb democracy, to be honest.” quote by Serj Tankian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/serj-tankian-7320_being-honest_sometimes-it-s-better-to-have-a-benign-d_2680388.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/serj-tankian-7320_being-honest_sometimes-it-s-better-to-have-a-benign-d_2680388.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/serj-tankian-7320_being-honest_sometimes-it-s-better-to-have-a-benign-d_2680388.png) > “Sometimes it's better to have a benign dictator than a dumb democracy, to be honest.” [Serj Tankian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serj-tankian/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement controversially suggests that a benevolent authoritarian ruler might be preferable to an uninformed democratic system. **In simple terms:** A good dictator may be better than a dumb democracy. Key Takeaway Question the value of governance forms. Themes politics leadership democracy Mood provocative critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political debate - policy making - public opinion Key Concepts authoritarianism competence civic engagement Questions to Reflect On - What defines a "benign" dictator? - Can democracy be improved without authoritarianism? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-honest/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Dictator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictator/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) ## Related quotes > [It is time to provide a smashing answer for those cynical men who say that a democracy cannot be honest, cannot be efficient… We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/it-is-time-to-provide-a-smashing-answer-for-those-cynical-men-who-say/) [Franklin D. 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As of now, it's benign... but I would say that the day is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-bell/every-major-player-is-working-on-this-technology-of-artificial/) [Ted Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-bell/) > [Intelligence may indeed be a benign influence creating isolated groups of philosopher-kings far apart in the heavens... 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They keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/factory-farm-lobbyists-are-so-powerful-and-so-well-funded-and-they-do/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [Whereas religions may serve a benign purpose by letting many people feel comfortable with the level of morality they themselves can attain, no religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/whereas-religions-may-serve-a-benign-purpose-by-letting-many-people/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [The plausible outcomes range from the gradual and benign to the more precipitous and damaging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-geithner/the-plausible-outcomes-range-from-the-gradual-and-benign-to-the-more/) [Timothy Geithner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-geithner/) ## More by Serj Tankian > [I like African music, and I'm a huge Ravi Shankar fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serj-tankian/i-like-african-music-and-i-m-a-huge-ravi-shankar-fan/) [Serj Tankian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serj-tankian/) > [As an artist, you never want to write the same song again, you always want to challenge yourself to writing in a different way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serj-tankian/as-an-artist-you-never-want-to-write-the-same-song-again-you-always/) [Serj Tankian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serj-tankian/) > [My personal relationship with music is an imperfect harmony because I never studied music, but here I am not just writing for bands but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serj-tankian/my-personal-relationship-with-music-is-an-imperfect-harmony-because-i/) [Serj Tankian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serj-tankian/) > [“I've had people come up to me with the strangest interpretations of what my lyrics might mean, and I'm like, "You go! 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That's part of the word 'jazz'... it's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-ferguson/i-m-a-person-of-change-and-i-must-be-honest-to-my-artistry-and-my/) Maynard Ferguson > [I'm going to be honest, I would love for Flava Flav to be president. 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