Niccolò Machiavelli Quotes

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Nevertheless, he must be cautious in believing and acting, and must not inspire fear of his own accord, and must proceed in a temperate manner with prudence and humanity, so that too much confidence does not render him incautious, and too much diffidence does not render him intolerant. From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved more than feared, or feared more than loved.

Niccolò Machiavelli
And in examining their life and deeds it will be seen that they owed nothing to fortune but the opportunity which gave them matter to be shaped into the form that they thought fit; and without that opportunity their powers would have been wasted, and without their powers the opportunity would have come in vain.

Niccolò Machiavelli
The best fortress which a prince can possess is the affection of his people.

Niccolò Machiavelli
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.

Niccolò Machiavelli
Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves

Niccolò Machiavelli
It is the nature of men to feel as much obligated for benefits they confer as for those they receive.

Niccolò Machiavelli
A man should not be injured and then assigned to important administration and control.

Niccolò Machiavelli
It may be observed, that provinces amid the vicissitudes to which they are subject, pass from order into confusion, and afterward recur to a state of order again; for the nature of mundane affairs not allowing them to continue in an even course, when they have arrived at their greatest perfection, they soon begin to decline. In the same manner, having been reduced by disorder, and sunk to their utmost state of depression, unable to descend lower, they, of necessity, reascend; and thus from good they gradually decline to evil, and from evil again return to good. The reason is, that valor produces peace; peace, repose; repose, disorder; disorder, ruin; so from disorder order springs; from order virtue, and from this, glory and good fortune.

Niccolò Machiavelli
Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please.

Niccolò Machiavelli
A prince who is not wise himself will never take good advice.

Niccolò Machiavelli
There is no other way for securing yourself against flatteries except that men understand that they do not offend you by telling you the truth; but when everybody can tell you the truth, you fail to get respect.

Niccolò Machiavelli
One should never allow chaos to develop in order to avoid going to war, because one does not avoid a war but instead puts it off to his disadvantage

Niccolò Machiavelli
I say that every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel. He must, however, take care not to misuse this mercifulness.

Niccolò Machiavelli
Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.

Niccolò Machiavelli
When neither their property nor their honor is touched, the majority of men live content.

Niccolò Machiavelli
As to the actions of all men, and especially those of princes, against whom charges cannot be brought in court, everybody looks at their result.

Niccolò Machiavelli
And the prince who has relied solely on their words, without making other preparations, is ruined, for the friendship which is gained by purchase and not through grandeur and nobility of spirit is merited but is not secured, and at times is not to be had.

Niccolò Machiavelli
The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.

Niccolò Machiavelli
Anyone who studies present and ancient affairs will easily see how in all cities and all peoples there still exist, and have always existed, the same desires and passions. Thus, it is an easy matter for him who carefully examines past events to foresee future events in a republic and to apply the remedies employed by the ancients, or, if old remedies cannot be found, to devise new ones based upon the similarity of the events. But since these matters are neglected or not understood by those who read, or, if understood, remain unknown to those who govern, the result is that the same problems always exist in every era.

Niccolò Machiavelli
If someone puts up the argument that King Louis gave the Romagna to Pope Alexander, and the kingdom of Naples to Spain, in order to avoid a war, I would answer as I did before: that you should never let things get out of hand in order to avoid war. You don't avoid such a war, you merely postpone it, to your own disadvantage.

Niccolò Machiavelli
For, besides what has been said, it should be borne in mind that the temper of the multitude is fickle, and that while it is easy to persuade them of a thing, it is hard to fix them in that persuasion

Niccolò Machiavelli
He who wishes to see what is to come should observe what has already happened, because all the affairs of the world, in every age, have their individual counterparts in ancient times.

Niccolò Machiavelli
Cunning and deceit will every time serve a man better than force to rise from a base condition to great fortune.

Niccolò Machiavelli
Those who either from imprudence or want of sagacity avoid doing so, are always overwhelmed with servitude and poverty; for faithful servants are always servants, and honest men are always poor; nor do any ever escape from servitude but the bold and faithless, or from poverty, but the rapacious and fraudulent.

Niccolò Machiavelli
He [the prince] holds to what is right when he can but knows how to do wrong when he must.

Niccolò Machiavelli
Results are often obtained by impetuosity and daring which could never have been obtained by ordinary methods.

Niccolò Machiavelli
A wise prince will seek means by which his subjects will always and in every possible condition of things have need of his government, and then they will always be faithful to him.

Niccolò Machiavelli
He who becomes a Prince through the favour of the people should always keep on good terms with them; which it is easy for him to do, since all they ask is not to be oppressed.

Niccolò Machiavelli
A prince being thus obliged to know well how to act as a beast must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.

Niccolò Machiavelli
So long as the great majority of men are not deprived of either property or honour, they are satisfied.

Niccolò Machiavelli