---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Custine described them as ‘automata…"
description: "\"“Custine described them as ‘automata inconvenienced with a soul’: a description true, perhaps, of all bureaucrats fearful for their jobs but truest of ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/theodore-dalrymple-7084_bureaucrats_custine-described-them-as-automata-incon_2381250.png"
---

#  Custine described them as ‘automata inconvenienced with a…

![“Custine described them as ‘automata inconvenienced with a soul’: a description true, perhaps, of all bureaucrats fearful for their jobs but truest of all where power is both arbitrary and completely centralised, as it was in Russia.” quote by Theodore Dalrymple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/theodore-dalrymple-7084_bureaucrats_custine-described-them-as-automata-incon_2381250.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/theodore-dalrymple-7084_bureaucrats_custine-described-them-as-automata-incon_2381250.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/theodore-dalrymple-7084_bureaucrats_custine-described-them-as-automata-incon_2381250.png)

> ““Custine described them as ‘automata inconvenienced with a soul’: a description true, perhaps, of all bureaucrats fearful for their jobs but truest of all where power is both arbitrary and completely centralised, as it was in Russia.””

[Theodore Dalrymple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dalrymple/)

## About This Quote

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

Bureaucrats become like automatons, fearing job loss, especially under arbitrary, centralized power such as in Russia.

**In simple terms:** Bureaucrats act like machines under oppressive regimes.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and resist dehumanizing systems.

Themes

politics bureaucracy power

Mood

cynical thoughtful

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

- government work
- public administration
- authoritarian states
- job security

Key Concepts

automation fear centralization

Questions to Reflect On

- What signs show bureaucratic dehumanization?
- How can individuals maintain humanity within such systems?

A Different Perspective

Resistance can be risky and may not change entrenched structures.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bureaucrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bureaucrats/)

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