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Quotes by Niccolo Machiavelli

A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Before all else, be armed.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Men are so simple and yield so readily to the desires of the moment that he who will trick will always find another who will suffer to be tricked.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Politics have no relation to morals.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Tardiness often robs us opportunity, and the dispatch of our forces.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
The chief foundations of all states... are good laws and good arms. And as there cannot be good laws where there are not good arms... where there are good arms there must be good laws.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
The question is, then, do we try to make things easy on ourselves or do we try to make things easy on our customers, whoever they may be?
– Niccolo Machiavelli
The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
War is just when it is necessary; arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
I hope and hoping feeds my pain
I weep and weeping feeds my failing heart
I laugh but the laughter does not pass within
I burn but the burning makes no mark outside
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
He who blinded by ambition, raises himself to a position whence he cannot mount higher, must thereafter fall with the greatest loss.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
God creates men, but they choose each other.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
A prince should therefore have no other aim or thought, nor take up any other thing for his study but war and it organization and discipline, for that is the only art that is necessary to one who commands.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
There is no other way of guarding oneself against flattery than by letting men understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth; but when everyone can tell you the truth, you lose their respect.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
When neither their property nor their honor is touched, the marjority of men live content.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Never was anything great achieved without danger.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
– Niccolo Machiavelli
A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.
– Niccolo Machiavelli