Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527), was an Italian diplomat, author, philosopher and historian who lived during the Renaissance. He is best known for his political treatise (The Prince).
Here is a collection of Niccolo Machiavelli most famous quotes: Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes about politics, leadership, government, morality, philosophy, political-science, revenge, love and fear. The prince quotes about morality. Quotes and sayings on warfare, daring, risk, deception, hate, intelligence, knowledge, success, philosophy and war by Niccolo Machiavelli.
Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes and Sayings
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.
Politics have no relation to morals.
There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
Never was anything great achieved without danger.
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.
Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot.
If you need to injure someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.
Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.
The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.
Men are driven by two principal impulses, either by love or by fear.
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.
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.
All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it's impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.
Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.
How we live is so different from how we ought to live that he who studies what ought to be done rather than what is done will learn the way to his downfall rather than to his preservation.
There are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless.
Before all else, be armed.
Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles.
Severities should be dealt out all at once, so that their suddenness may give less offense; benefits ought to be handed ought drop by drop, so that they may be relished the more.
Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see but few can test by feeling. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are; and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.
He who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.
It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.
Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.
Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.
Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.
A man who is used to acting in one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no longer are in harmony with his ways.
The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar.
Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.
A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent, so that if he does not attain to their greatness, at any rate he will get some tinge of it.
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.
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.
There is nothing more important than appearing to be religious.
Tardiness often robs us opportunity, and the dispatch of our forces.
And here comes in the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both; but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.
It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain by the new ones.
Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.
Appear as you may wish to be.
Wisdom consists of knowing how to distinguish the nature of trouble, and in choosing the lesser evil.
A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.
Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves.
Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.
For among other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible; which is one of those disgraceful things which a prince must guard against.
Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.
It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.
The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.
It is better to act and repent than not to act and regret.
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.
The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
He who builds on the people, builds on the mud.
There is no avoiding war, it can only be postponed to the advantage of your enemy.
Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, for everyone can see and few can feel. Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.
In conclusion, the arms of others either fall from your back, or they weigh you down, or they bind you fast.
Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions.
The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.
For one change always leaves a dovetail into which another will fit.
It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
Men intrinsically do not trust new things that they have not experienced themselves.
There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.
Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.
And it ought to be remembered that 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.
Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.
A prince must not have any other object nor any other thought.... but war, its institutions, and its discipline; because that is the only art befitting one who commands.
Nature creates few men brave, industry and training makes many.
One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.
One should never fall in the belief that you can find someone to pick you up.
Everyone who wants to know what will happen ought to examine what has happened: everything in this world in any epoch has their replicas in antiquity.
War is just when it is necessary; arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms.
I hold strongly to this: that it is better to be impetuous than circumspect; because fortune is a woman and if she is to be submissive it is necessary to beat and coerce her.
Men never do good unless necessity drives them to it; but when they are free to choose and can do just as they please, confusion and disorder become rampant.
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.
Being feared and not hated go well together, and the prince can always do this if he does not touch the property or the women of his citizens and subjects.
Everything that occurs in the world, in every epoch, has something that corresponds to it in ancient times.
It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.
Therefore any cruelty has to be executed at once, so that the less it is tasted, the less it offends; while benefits must be dispensed little by little, so that they will be savored all the more.
He who causes another to become powerful ruins himself, for he brings such a power into being either by design or by force, and both of these elements are suspects to the one whom he has made powerful.
The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not.
For whoever believes that great advancement and new benefits make men forget old injuries is mistaken.
I desire to go to Hell and not to Heaven. In the former I shall enjoy the company of popes, kings and princes, while in the latter are only beggars, monks and apostles.
To understand the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to understand the nature of the prince, one must be of the people.
He who is highly esteemed is not easily conspired against.
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.
The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow.
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.
Men sooner forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony.
The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.
The best fortress which a prince can possess is the affection of his people.
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
The distinction between children and adults, while probably useful for some purposes, is at bottom a specious one, I feel. There are only individual egos, crazy for love.
But above all he must refrain from seizing the property of others, because a man is quicker to forget the death of his father than the loss of his patrimony.
Minds are of three kinds: one is capable of thinking for itself; another is able to understand the thinking of others; and a third can neither think for itself nor understand the thinking of others. The first is of the highest excellence, the second is excellent, and the third is worthless.
A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.
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.
We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed.
Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.
The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuous in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.
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.
The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.
There is no other way of guarding against adulation, than to make people understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth. On the other hand, when everyone feels at liberty to tell you the truth, they will be apt to be lacking in respect to you.
Is it better to be loved or feared?
Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself.
It is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to necessity.
A prince is also esteemed when he is a true friend and a true enemy.
Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds.
Men desire novelty to such an extent that those who are doing well wish for a change as much as those who are doing badly.
For, in truth, there is no sure way of holding other than by destroying.
It is a common fault of men not to reckon on storms in fair weather.
In peace one is despoiled by the mercenaries, in war by one's enemies.
Alexander never did what he said, Cesare never said what he did.
Never do an enemy a small injury.
A man who wishes to profess at all times will come to ruin among so many who are not good.
Let no man, therefore, lose heart from thinking that he cannot do what others have done before him; for, as I said in my Preface, men are born, and live, and die, always in accordance with the same rules.
The incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.
One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.
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.
But when you disarm them, you at once offend them by showing that you distrust them, either for cowardice or for want of loyalty, and either of these opinions breeds hatred against you.
And yet we cannot define as skillful killing one's fellow citizens, betraying one's friends, and showing no loyalty, mercy, or moral obligation. These means can lead to power, but not glory.
Hence it comes that all armed prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed prophets have been destroyed.
When they depend upon their own resources and can employ force, they seldom fail. Hence it comes that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.
Whoever desires to found a state and give it laws, must start with assuming that all men are bad and ever ready to display their vicious nature, whenever they may find occasion for it.
If you wish to please me, and to bring success and honour to yourself, do right and study, because others will help you if you help yourself.
It is safer to be feared than loved.
For a Monarchy readily becomes a Tyranny, an Aristocracy an Oligarchy, while a Democracy tends to degenerate into Anarchy.
All the States and Governments by which men are or ever have been ruled, have been and are either Republics or Princedoms.
There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
Men are so simple, and governed so absolutely by their present needs, that he who wishes to deceive will never fail in finding willing dupes.
Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
You ought never to suffer your designs to be crossed in order to avoid war, since war is not so to be avoided, but is only deferred to your disadvantage.
Quod Principi plaevit habet legis vigorem.
Women are the most charitable creatures, and the most troublesome. He who shuns women passes up the trouble, but also the benefits. He who puts up with them gains the benefits, but also the trouble. As the saying goes, there's no honey without bees.
The Romans recognized potential difficulties in advance and always remedied them in time. They never let problems develop just so they could escape a war, for they knew that such wars cannot be avoided, only postponed to the advantage of others.
Many have imagined republics and principalities which have never been seen or known to exist in reality, for how we live is so far removed from how we ought to live, that he who abandons what is done for what ought to be done will rather bring about his ruin than his preservation.
The people, as Cicero says, may be ignorant, but they can recognize the truth and will readily yield when some trustworthy man explains it to them.
That defense alone is effectual, sure and durable which depends upon yourself and your own valour.
The memory of their former freedom will not let them rest; so that the safest course is either to destroy them, or to go and live in them.
For Time, driving all things before it, may bring with it evil as well as good.
Yet the way men live is so far removed from the way they ought to live that anyone who abandons what is for what should be pursues his downfall rather than his preservation.
For the friendships which we buy with a price, and do not gain by greatness and nobility of character, though they be fairly earned are not made good, but fail us when we have occasion to use them.
As a general thing anyone who is not your friend will advise neutrality while anyone who is your friend will ask you to join him, weapon in hand.
It happens in all human affairs that we never seek to escape one mischief without falling into another. Prudence therefore consists in knowing how to distinguish degrees of disadvantage, and in accepting a less evil as a good.
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.
Without an opportunity, their abilities would have been wasted, and without their abilities, the opportunity would have arisen in vain.
For however strong you may be in respect of your army, it is essential that in entering a new Province you should have the good will of its inhabitants.
Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.
Men injure either from fear or hatred.
Men will not look at things as they really are, but as they wish them to be—and are ruined.
He who has once begun to live by robbery will always find pretexts for seizing what belongs to others.
Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are; and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.
But in republics there is more vitality, more hatred, and more desire for revenge. The memory of former freedom simply will not leave the people in peace.
He said that it always struck him with surprise that while men in buying an earthen or glass vase would sound it first to learn if it were good, yet in choosing a wife they were content with only looking at her.
It is a common fault not to anticipate storms when the sea is calm.
A prince need take little account of conspiracies if the people are disposed in his favor.
Men live peacefully as long as their old way of life is maintained and there is no change in customs.
Among other evils which being unarmed brings you, it causes you to be despised.
For, although one may be very strong in armed forces, yet in entering a province one has always need of the goodwill of the natives.
When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred.
No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.
Set down among these lice, this is how I keep the mold from my brain and find release from Fortune's malice. I am content to have her beat me down this way to see if she won't become ashamed.
The gulf between how one should live and how one does live is so wide that a man who neglects what is actually done for what should be done learns the way to self-destruction rather than self-preservation.
There are many who think a wise prince ought, when he has the chance, to foment astutely some enmity, so that by suppressing it he will augment his greatness.
For on Cardinal Rohan saying to me that the Italians did not understand war, I replied that the French did not understand politics.
An unavoidable war is called justice. When brutality is the only option left it is holy.
It is far better to earn the confidence of the people than to rely on fortresses.