Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli Quotes
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For as laws are necessary that good manners may be preserved, so there is need of good manner that laws may be maintained. [It., Perche, cosi come i buoni costumi, per mantenersi, hanno bisogno delli leggi; cosi le leggi per ossevarsi, hanno bisogno de' buoni costumi.]
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Decide which is the line of conduct that presents the fewest drawbacks and then follow it out as being the best one, because one never finds anything perfectly pure and unmixed, or exempt from danger.
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Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.
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There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new order of things..... Whenever his enemies have occasion to attack the innovator they do so with the passion of partisans, while the others defend him sluggishly so that the innovator and his party alike are vulnerable.
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There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.
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A battle that you win cancels any other bad action of yours. In the same way, by losing one, all the good things worked by you before become vain.
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So long as the great majority of men are not deprived of either property or honor, they are satisfied.
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A man who wishes to make a profession of goodness in everything must necessarily come to grief among so many who are not good. Therefore, it is necessary for a prince, who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how not to be good, and to use this knowledge and not use it according to the necessity of the case.
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Men are more ready to offend one who desires to be beloved than one who wishes to be feared.
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There is nothing as likely to succeed as what the enemy believes you cannot attempt.
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We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.
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A son could bear with great complacency, the death of his father, while the loss of his inheritance might drive him to despair.
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With difficulty he is beaten who can estimate his own forces and those of his enemy.
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In the armies and among every ten men there is one of more life, of more heart, or at least of more authority, who with his courage, with words and by example keeps the others firm and disposed to fight.
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Men are so stupid and concerned with their present needs, they will always let themselves be deceived.
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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.
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And truly it is a very natural and ordinary thing to desire to acquire, and always, when men do it who can, they will be praised or not blamed; but when they cannot, and wish to do it anyway, here lies the error and the blame.
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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.
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It makes him contemptible to be considered fickle, frivolous, effeminate, mean-spirited, irresolute, from all of which a prince should guard himself as from a rock; and he should endeavour to show in his actions greatness, courage, gravity, and fortitude; and in his private dealings with his subjects let him show that his judgments are irrevocable, and maintain himself in such reputation that no one can hope either to deceive him or to get round him.
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God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.
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He who is the cause of another's advancement is thereby the cause of his own ruin.
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Good order makes men bold, and confusion, cowards.
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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.
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War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans.