“It’s in the nature of a good despot to say anything that will convince someone to do as he wishes. Only when he does not need them does he really say what he thinks. And by that time, of course, because he has no need of them, they are usually as good as dead. The secret of becoming a successful tyrant lies in an early ability to be all things to all people.”

— Michael Moorcock , book The Steel Tsar

Book 2, Chapter 7 “A Mechanical Man” (p. 397)
The Steel Tsar (1981)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "It’s in the nature of a good despot to say anything that will convince someone to do as he wishes. Only when he does no…" by Michael Moorcock?

Michael Moorcock 224

English writer, editor, critic 1939

Related quotes

“He lies on a regular basis. He says what he feels that he needs to say for his own benefit, and then he does what he feels that he needs to do for his own benefit as well. And all too often it doesn’t go together.”

Merav Michaeli (1966) Israeli politician

About Benjamin Netanyahu, as quoted in Demonstrators flood the streets demanding equal rights for gays https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Hundreds-demonstrate-for-LGBT-rights-in-Jerusalem-Tel-Aviv-and-Haifa-563115 (July 22, 2018) by Rocky Baier, The Jerusalem Post.

“I love the song ["Weird"] too. It is really weird when you listen to the beat and the words. It's about someone that she's still obsessed with. And everything he does is like he says this, but he does this. And he does this but he says this. It's all twisted around and backwards. She's not really sure who he is or what he does, but she likes it.”

Hilary Duff (1987) American actress and singer

"Hilary Duff comes clean" http://www.hilaryontheweb.com/news/2005/january/21012005_Hilary%20Duff%20comes%20clean.html. News Times. January 21 2005. Retrieved October 25 2006.
On "Weird", a song from Hilary Duff (2004).

“Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.”

Edgar Degas (1834–1917) French artist

Quoted in Artists on Art: From the XIV to the XX Century, ed. Robert Goldwater (Pantheon, 1945)
quotes, undated

“Actually, it's tough, because he's not really screwing up. He seems to be doing a good job, but we're there just in case — the first time he does anything.”

Jimmy Fallon (1974) American TV Personality

In answer the question "Is it easy to write jokes [on Saturday Night Live] about President Bush?", posed in the summer of 2001
Smith, Kerry L. (2001-07-05), "Jimmy Fallon". Rolling Stone. (872):153