95 result(s) for Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes.
"The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently to be exposed to danger for their sake."
"It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver."
"In war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak."
"There is no other way to guard against the future than to be forearmed."
"It is easier to dominate people who are being fooled."
"He who is highly esteemed is not easily overthrown."
"In things pertaining to the intellect, it is a good thing to take counsel, but in affairs of state, it is necessary to make decisions firmly."
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"The one who receives benefits should not be against the one giving them."
"A prince must be a lion to frighten the wolves and a fox to recognize traps."
"It is a common saying that a prince should not be poor because of his own follies."
"Men are driven by a number of forces, and among them is the fear of unattainable things."
"It is necessary for a prince to find ways to disguise his intentions."
"A prudent ruler cannot, and should not, keep faith when such faith may be turned against him."
"The generality of men are not capable of seeing things other than as they are."
"A great man is he who is in a certain sense the servant of his country."
"One who wishes to be obeyed must be able to command."
"In the actions of men, especially of princes, which from their greatness are more remarked, there is no other test of the truth than that of experience."
"Those who become powerful are not led by fortune, but by virtue."
"The wise man does not expose himself unnecessarily to danger since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently."
"It is better to be a ruler of a small state than a subject in a large one."
"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."
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"A wise ruler ought to lay a strong foundation for his state."
"Nothing is more important than keeping the morale of your people up."
"He who is merciful in his conquest will be abandoned by his subjects."
"There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others."
"The ruler must be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten off wolves."
"Fear is an instructor of great sagacity."
"A good commander is not a warrior, but an artist of war."
"When the safety of your state is at stake, it is better to be feared than loved."
"Fortune is like a woman; if you want to keep her under control, you have to treat her roughly."
"There is no other way to gain respect than through strength and power."
"Men are more likely to be swayed by fear than by love."
"There is no other way to hold a state than by forcing the subjects to be good and to be evil."
"The wise man does not lay hold of the literal meaning of the words, but rather the meaning behind them."
"The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it."
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"It is better to act and repent than not to act and regret."
"In any country, the government will always favor the officials over the common man."
"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."
"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things."
"Whoever is responsible for a state cannot afford to take a single day off from his duty."
"Fortune is a woman, and if she is to be submissive, it is necessary to beat and coerce her."
"A prince should have no other objective, no other thought, nor take anything else for his art but war."
"Nothing is more important than the way we prepare the ground."
"It is better to be a king of a little country than a subject of a large one."
"One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived."
"The people are more apt to be led astray by their passions than their reason."
"Cunning, and a plot born of ill will, are necessary for recovery of one’s liberty."
"It is not sufficient to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace."
"The promise given was a necessity of the past; the word broken is a necessity of the present."
"A prince must lean on what he has, not what he would like to have."
"The wise man does not lay up his own goods, but comforts and encourages the those that are good."
"Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception."
"It is better to be a mercenary than to be a lying thief."
"One who is a master of persuasion can shape one's destiny."
"It is necessary for a prince who wants to maintain his position to learn how to be able not to be good."
"Any man whose worth is in his virtue must be careful about what he says, for he is often misjudged."
"The infantry is the basis of all military power."
"He who knows best how to be feared is best at being loved."
"The more a government is considered to be good, the less it has to fear from the people."
"Fortune is like a woman; if you want to keep her down, you have to beat her."
"A prince who wants to be respected by his people must be a strong ruler."
"In a republic, there is no danger of the people not being sufficiently governed."
"A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests."
"Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great."
"The chief foundation of all states, new as well as old, is good laws and good arms."
"It is essential to understand that the past can inform the future."
"The man who is the most able to adroitly handle circumstance and to take advantage of change will always come out ahead."
"A successful ruler is not held hostage by the opinions of others."
"He who is excessively careful is an impediment to his own progress."
"The ends justify the means."
"It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both."
"The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has himself."
"Men are driven by two principal impulses, either by love or by fear."
"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things."
"A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise."
"The more law, the less justice."
"It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles."
"He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command."
"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions."
"One who is a master of his own life will eventually be respected by all."
"In the actions of men, and especially of princes, which there is no other measure but that of experience, one must take this into consideration: that they are not all alike in their dispositions and their circumstances."
"It is better to be a mercenary soldier than a national one, as the mercenary is more reliable."
"Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are."
"Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times."
"The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves."
"It is essential that a prince should have a good grasp of these things: a prince should be a lion to frighten the wolves, and a fox to recognize traps."
"A prudent ruler cannot, and must not, honor his word when it places him at a disadvantage."
"There is no other way to guard against flattery than by making persons understand that they are not being held in esteem when that makes them worse and delights them in their disposition."
"It is better to be impetuous than timid. Because timidity is the worst trait of a ruler."
"Fortune favors the bold."
"The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present."
"The chief aim of the state is the good of the people."
"To be an effective leader, one must also learn how to be deceitful."
"The true mark of a ruler is that he is able to deny his own commitments when necessary."
"No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution."
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