In order to minimize the aforementioned value conflict, the rulers must attempt to subvert the minds of their subjects. Pharaohs, medieval lords, and "divine-right" kings used superstition to justify their rule, seeking to persuade their subjects that their régimes enjoyed the sanction of the gods, who would punish mercilessly any transgression against their authority. In modern times, dictators like Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Castro, and Hussein, having obtained power in the wake of socialist revolutions or coups, have used various variants of socialist theory to justify their power. In either case, the subversion serves to confuse the minds of the subjects, preventing them from discovering their objective self-interest, a knowledge which would imperil the régime. Science and technology are severely restricted by superstition and propaganda, while economic initiative and productivity are suppressed by the atmosphere of fear. For both reasons, living standards under such governments are drastically eroded, so that even the rulers may find it difficult to obtain the best possible medical care and other luxuries.

Modern dictatorships, for reasons to be explored in detail later, are typically the final evolutionary stage of governments based on the pursuit of "economic equality" or socialism. Reflecting this heritage, the rulers of such governments customarily represent themselves, not as rulers, but as "leaders" who embody the "popular will."