Augusto Pinochet Quotes

The man whose authority is recent is always stern.

I think political people are afraid of me.

Bad leaders believe that they have to project control at all times.

I run a tight ship, but I try and make it seem like I'm not doing that at all.

One thing that's coming up a lot is: are you as grumpy as you appear from this Black Books thing.

I think people believe I'm some kind of evil dictator sometimes. But I don't much care about that.

Remember that this White house is populated with … control freaks.

I am not a dictator; I am a communicator.

Leaders should never, ever try to look cool - that's for dictators

We would rather be feared than respected.

You can't be loved for long if you're not feared.

I think the policy makers like the idea of being the boss. I mean people who like to boss other people around like to go into politics so they can become the boss.

The only place where you can be a dictator and still be loved is on the movie set

The Presidents job, is not to wield power himself, but to lead attention away from it.

My face is sour. Maybe that's why they say I'm a dictator.

The power is detested, and miserable the life, of him who wishes to be feared rather than to be loved.

POWER: The ability to make our fellow humans squirm, sweat and stammer on command. Often regarded as an aphrodisiac; actually a potent laxative that, whenever ingested by people in high places, causes everyone below to run for cover.

A weak King must be what other Kings have been; a strong King is himself, and from then on the meaning of the name of King is changed.

I would not let myself be intimidated by Yahya Khan, his methods had led us to disaster.

Let people hate you so long as they fear you.

Authority is God ordained, but authoritarianism and raw power, in almost all forms, is dangerous.

Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.

All leaders strive to turn their followers into children.

As soon as politicians start climbing up the ladder, they suddenly become kings. I don't know how it works, but what I do know is that republics came to the world to make sure that no one is more than anyone else. The pomp of office is like something left over from a feudal past: "You need a palace, red carpet, a lot of people behind you saying, 'Yes, sir.' I think all of that is awful."

It is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved? It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both: but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.