Niccolò Machiavelli Quotes

..it happens in all human affairs that we never seek to escape one mischief without falling into ano...

... War is the sole art looked for in one who rules...

Florence which included diplomatic missions to various European courts.

at Florence which included diplomatic missions to various European courts. Imprisoned

If they lacked the opportunity, the strength of their sprit would have been sapped; if they had lack...

... When Princes devote themselves rather to pleasure than to arms, they lose their dominions.

Men are driven by two principal impulses, either by love or by fear.

Considering thus how much honor is awarded to antiquity, and how many times—letting pass infinite ot...

It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles.

From this arises the following question: whether it is better to be loved than feared, or the revers...

It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.

...no one should marvel at the ease with which Alexander [the Great] kept possession of Asia, or at ...

Never was anything great achieved without danger.

Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.

Men in general are as much affected by what a thing appears to be as by what it is, indeed they are ...

Never do an enemy a small injury.

... one would like to be both [loved and feared], but as it is difficult to combine both love and fe...

Without an opportunity, their abilities would have been wasted, and without their abilities, the opp...

Everyone who wants to know what will happen ought to examine what has happened: everything in this w...

... From want of foresight men make changes which relishing well at first do not betray their hidden...

Those who believe that where great personages are concerned new favors cause old injuries to be forg...

When evening comes, I return home and go into my study. On the threshold I strip off my muddy, sweat...

It is of the greatest important in this world that a man should know himself, and the measure of his...

To understand the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to understand the nature of the pri...

A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His...

It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor mo...

People should either be caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage they will get their revenge...

When evening comes, I go back home, and go to my study. On the threshold I take off my work clothes,...

These opportunities, then, gave these men the chance they needed, and their great abilities made the...

Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.

Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and the...

It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.

Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.

Men are so simple and yield so readily to the desires of the moment that he who will trick will alwa...

Decide which is the line of conduct that presents the fewest drawbacks and then follow it out as bei...

There is no avoiding war it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.

Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.

A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its ...

It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.

There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.

Men are always averse to enterprises in which they foresee difficulties.

Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.

War is just when it is necessary arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms.

He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.

To understand the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to understand the nature of the pri...

Only those means of security are good are certain are lasting that depend on yourself and your ow...

Men hesitate less to injure a man who makes himself loved than to injure one who makes himself feare...

Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengea...

Benefits should be granted little by little so that they may be better enjoyed.

Politics have no relation to morals.

One never finds anything perfectly pure and ... exempt from danger.

No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execu...

Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.

War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which g...

Fear is secured by a dread of punishment.

Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victi...

Where the willingness is great the difficulties cannot be great.

Men are always wicked at bottom unless they are made good by some compulsion.

There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates...

Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all t...

One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.

Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries ...

Armour belonging to someone else either chops off you or weighs you down or is too tight

For that reason, let a prince have the credit of conquering and holding his state, the means will al...

But confining myself more to the particular, I say that a prince may be seen happy to-day and ruined...

A prudent man will always try to follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have bee...

Men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuri...

... By disarming, you at once give offense, since you show your subjects that you distrust them, eit...

... Physicians tell us of hectic fever, that in its beginning it is easy to cure, but hard to recogn...

In conclusion, the arms of others either fall from your back, or they weigh you down, or they bind y...

... I believe that he will prosper most whose mode of acting best adapts itself to the character of ...

Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is...

Again, a Prince should show himself a patron of merit, and should honour those who excel in every ar...

For this can be said of men in general: that they are ungrateful, fickle, hypocrites and dissemblers...

... On the whole, the best fortress you can have, is in not being hated by your subjects. If they ha...

Thus it is well to seem merciful, faithful, humane, sincere, religious, and also to be so; but you m...

I conclude therefore that, fortune being changeful and mankind steadfast in their ways, so long as t...

Is it better to be loved or feared?

He who causes another to become powerful ruins himself, for he brings such a power into being either...

For no man is found so prudent as to know how to adapt himself to these changes, both because he can...

A prince ought to have two fears one from within on account of his subjects the other from without o...

He listened to their opinions, stated his own, and supported them with reasons; and from his being c...

And here comes in the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather...

From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather ...

... If instead of colonies you send troops, the cost is vastly greater, and the whole revenues of th...

Therefore a wise prince ought to adopt such a course that his citizens will always in every sort and...

The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.

For this reason a prince ought to take care that he never lets anything slip from his lips that is n...

There are many who think a wise prince ought, when he has the chance, to foment astutely some enmity...

And you have to understand this, that a prince, especially a new one, cannot observe all those thing...

What remains to be done must be done by you; since in order not to deprive us of our free will and s...

Wisdom consists of knowing how to distinguish the nature of trouble, and in choosing the lesser evil...

He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command

It is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it ...

Men always praise antiquity and fault the present, although not always reasonably, and they are part...

A prince need take little account of conspiracies if the people are disposed in his favor.

[...T]he ways of God have been manifested beyond example: the sea is divided, the cloud has led the ...

... Whoever becomes master of a city accustomed to live in freedom and does no destroy it, may recko...

Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.

And what physicians say about consumptive illnesses is applicable here: that at the beginning, such ...