The nature and psychology of a dictator is like a flesh eating parasite that believes it is the sustainer of the flesh that it eats, not the consumer of it. The dictator believes that his power and the interest of the nation are one and the same.
Mubarak's behavior reminds me of my power-hungry, control-freak dad. He ruled with an iron fist for ages and then when the people finally revolted, he initially tried to crush the rebellion. And when that failed, he waited to see if the rebellion runs out of steam. When that failed, he offered to make slight concessions. When that failed, he tried to make emotional appeals to the people. When that failed, he tried to make life difficult for the rebellion through indirect means, hoping they will give up the fight and prefer to maintain the status quo for the sake of convenience. But that angered people even more, just like it angered me. I wasn't going to let him win.
When that failed, he tried to appeal to people's self-interest...
And the mindgames go on...