Niccolo Machiavelli
A prince must be prudent enough to know how to escape the bad reputation of those vices that would lose the state for him, and must protect himself from those that will not lose it for him, if this is possible; but if he cannot, he need not concern himself unduly if he ignores these less serious vices.Collection: Vices
No proceeding is better than that which you have concealed from the enemy until the time you have executed it. To know how to recognize an opportunity in war, and take it, benefits you more than anything else. Nature creates few men brave, industry and training makes many. Discipline in war counts more than fury.Collection: Art
Men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge.Collection: Revenge
The sinews of war are not gold, but good soldiers.Collection: War
Men are able to assist fortune but not to thwart her. They can weave her designs, but they cannot destroy them.Collection: Men
The end of the republic is to enervate and to weaken all other bodies so as to increase its own body.Collection: Art
For he who innovates will have for his enemies all those who are well off under the existing order of things, and only lukewarm supporters in those who might be better off under the new.Collection: Order
If the course of human affairs be considered, it will be seen that many things arise against which heaven does not allow us to guard.Collection: Destiny
God creates men, but they choose each other.Collection: Men
As the observance of divine institutions is the cause of the greatness of republics, so the disregard of them produces their ruin; for where the fear of God is wanting, there the country will come to ruin, unless it be sustained the fear of the prince, which temporarily supply the want of religion.Collection: Country
A prince who is not himself wise cannot be wisely advised. . . . Good advice depends on the shrewdness of the prince who seeks it, and not the shrewdness of the prince on good advice.Collection: Wise
A blast in the human breast is nothing to boast of.Collection: Blast
Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses they will not save you if you are hated by the people.Collection: Love
it is much safer to be feared than loved because ...love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.Collection: Opportunity
In respect to foresight and firmness, the people are more prudent, more stable, and have better judgement than princes.Collection: People
Thus it happens in matters of state; for knowing afar off (which it is only given a prudent man to do) the evils that are brewing, they are easily cured. But when, for want of such knowledge, they are allowed to grow so that everyone can recognize them, there is no longer any remedy to be found.Collection: Men
I say that every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel. He must, however, take care not to misuse this mercifulness.Collection: Art
We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed.Collection: Mean
With difficulty he is beaten who can estimate his own forces and those of his enemy.Collection: Enemy
They have not any difficulties on the way up because they fly, but they have many when they reach the summit.Collection: Achievement
Men are more ready to offend one who desires to be beloved than one who wishes to be feared.Collection: Life
Although deceit is detestable in all other things, yet in the conduct of war it is laudable and honorable; and a commander who vanquishes an enemy by stratagem is equally praised with one who gains victory by force.Collection: War
My view is that it is desirable to be both loved and feared; but it is difficult to achieve both and, if one of them has to be lacking, it is much safer to be feared than loved.Collection: Views
Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires.Collection: Men
Occasionally words must serve to veil the facts. But let this happen in such a way that no one become aware of it; or, if it should be noticed, excuses must be at hand to be produced immediately.Collection: Hands
One never finds anything perfectly pure and ... exempt from danger.Collection: Danger
For government consists in nothing else but so controlling subjects that they shall neither be able to, nor have cause to do [it] harm.Collection: Government
Men are less hesitant about harming someone who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared because love is held together by a chain of obligation which, since men are wretched creatures, is broken on every occasion in which their own interests are concerned; but fear is sustained by dread of punishment which will never abandon you.Collection: Love Is
The world has always been the same; and there is always as much good fortune as bad in it.Collection: World
Forgiveness proceeds from a generous soul.Collection: Inspirational
Men ought either to be well treated, or crushed.Collection: Men
He who is the cause of another's advancement is thereby the cause of his own ruin.Collection: Advancement
....for friendships that are acquired by a price and not by greatness and nobility of character are purchased but are not owned, and at the proper moment they cannot be spent.Collection: Character
God and nature have thrown all human fortunes into the midst of mankind; and they are thus attainable rather by rapine than by industry, by wicked actions rather than by good. Hence it is that men feed upon each other, and those who cannot defend themselves must be worried.Collection: Art
The nature of man is such that people consider themselves put under an obligation as much by the benefits they confer as by those they receive.Collection: Art
Men walk almost always in the paths trodden by others, proceeding in their actions by imitation.Collection: Men
For titles do not reflect honor on men, but rather men on their titles.Collection: Men
A prince ought to have two fears, one from within, on account of his subjects, the other from without, on account of external powers.Collection: Art
One man should not be afraid of improving his posessions, lest they be taken away from him, or another deterred by high taxes from starting a new business. Rather, the Prince should be ready to reward men who want to do these things and those who endeavour in any way to increase the prosperity of their city or their state.Collection: Taken
Whoever is the cause of another becoming powerful, is ruined himself; for that power is produced by him either through craft or force; and both of these are suspected by the one who has been raised to power.Collection: Powerful
To know well the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to know well the nature of princes one must be of the people.Collection: People
Never do your enemy a minor injury.Collection: Enemy
He who would foresee what is to happen should look to what has happened: for all that is has its counterpart in time past.Collection: Past
It is better to be bold than too circumspect, because fortune is of a sex which likes not a tardy wooer and repulses all who are not ardent.Collection: Sex
Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolvesCollection: Lions
Whoever takes it upon himself to establish a commonwealth and prescribe laws must presuppose all men naturally bad, and that they will yield to their innate evil passions as often as they can do so with safety.Collection: Passion
How laudable it is for a prince to keep good faith and live with integrity, and not with astuteness, every one knows. Still the experience of our times shows those princes to have done great things who have had little regard for good faith, and have been able by astuteness to confuse men's brains, and who have ultimately overcome those who have made loyalty their foundation.Collection: Loyalty
For as good habits of the people require good laws to support them, so laws, to be observed, need good habits on the part of the people.Collection: Law
One can generally say this about men: that they are ungrateful, fickle, simulators and deceivers, avoiders of danger, greedy for gain; and while you work for their good they are completely yours, offering you their blood, their property, their lives, and their sons when danger is far away; but when it comes nearer to you, they turn away.Collection: Philosophical