The Distorted Worldview of Dictators

By Mika Horelli –

I often wonder what drives dictators to act the way they do. What is the worldview of leaders like Vladimir Putin, and how do they justify their power, which they hold without any true mandate from the people they govern? This question has occupied my mind for years, particularly after a conversation I had with President Sauli Niinistö in 2018. I asked him directly whether he perceives a difference between leaders who have a democratic mandate from their people and those whose power is built on violence. Niinistö answered diplomatically, but his response left the question lingering in my mind.

The worldview of dictators is fundamentally different from that of leaders in democracies. In democracies, power is rooted in the trust of the people and accountability to them. Dictators, on the other hand, maintain their grip on power through propaganda, violence, and lies. They do not serve their people; they rule them.

In Putin’s Russia, this web of lies has been woven to perfection. His rule is built on the notion of Russia as a great power surrounded by enemies. Citizens are told that they must endure poverty, corruption, and hardship because Russia must protect itself from external threats. Meanwhile, Russia’s real problems—economic stagnation, decaying infrastructure, and declining living standards—are swept under the rug. Despite all this, state propaganda works tirelessly to create the illusion that Putin is the only one who can save Russia.

Putin and leaders like him live in a parallel reality where their power is not based on an honest relationship with their people but on making themselves indispensable. They manufacture crises and threats to justify their rule. This is glaringly evident in Putin’s actions in Ukraine. By law, war cannot be called a war in Russia—it is a “special military operation.” This linguistic gymnastics is just one example of how dictators distort reality to maintain their grip on power.

But what does Putin hope to achieve by attempting to conquer neighboring countries? It is tempting to think he simply wants more territory to control. However, this is only part of the story. Putin is also driven by fear. He fears the spread of democracy and the power of example. If freedom and democracy thrive in Russia’s neighboring countries, it will inevitably resonate with the Russian people. What happens if Russians begin to question their own circumstances and demand the same rights? This is why Putin seeks to crush anything that threatens his regime—whether it is Ukraine’s independence or the Russian people’s access to truthful information.

For dictators, power is not a responsibility; it is ownership. Putin sees Russia as his private property. His attempts to expand Russian territory can also be seen as an effort to grow this “property.” Ukraine is not being invaded because Russia needs its resources, but because Putin wants to restore the glory—or at least the illusion of glory—of a bygone Russian empire.

This worldview stands in stark contrast to that of democratic leaders. In democracies, leaders are servants. They must justify their actions to their people and withstand constant scrutiny. This does not make their work easy—on the contrary, it is often grueling and thankless. But this is precisely what makes democracy strong. Leaders are not above the institutions they represent, and their power always remains in the hands of the people.

Dictators cannot bear this kind of accountability. That is why they lie, distort, and manipulate. They need a loyal inner circle to prop up their rule. The people are not their partners; they are pawns.

There is also a tragic aspect to Putin’s worldview. He does not seem to understand that his attempts to make Russia a great power are destroying it from within. The war in Ukraine has drained enormous resources, crippled Russia’s economic potential, and plunged the country into international isolation. Meanwhile, Russian citizens are being deprived of truth, the right to protest, and the hope for a better future.

I often imagine what it would be like to speak directly to Putin or leaders like him. To ask how they justify their actions to themselves. Do they truly believe their own lies? Or has their worldview become so distorted that truth no longer matters? I do not know the answer. But I do know that the strength of democracy lies in its ability to confront difficult questions without fear.

Reflecting on Niinistö’s diplomatic response from 2018, I realize that the question was not really about his opinion of dictators. It was about how we view the world. The worldview of dictators is built on lies and fear. The worldview of democracies is built on dialogue and trust. The choice between these two is not just political; it is moral.

This choice is now before us. It is easy to condemn the actions of dictators and think their world is far removed from our own. But if we are honest, we must admit that their actions affect us too. The truth is that their distorted worldview challenges our values and institutions. This is why it is crucial that we do not just watch from the sidelines but actively defend what is right.

Power is never neutral. It can be used to rule or to serve. And it is here that the difference between democratic leaders and dictators becomes most apparent. One builds trust, while the other destroys it. Each of us has a responsibility to ensure that the right one prevails.