196 quotes found
“A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.”
“Politics have no relation to morals.”
“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.”
“Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot.”
“Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions.”
“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 ma...”
“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.”
“It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.”
“One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.”
“Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.”
“... one would like to be both [loved and feared], but as it is difficult to combine both love and fear, if one has to choose between them it is far safer to be feared than loved”
“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.”
“... Physicians tell us of hectic fever, that in its beginning it is easy to cure, but hard to recognize; whereas, after a time, not having been detected and treated at the first, it becomes easy to...”
“And you have to understand this, that a prince, especially a new one, cannot observe all those things for which men are esteemed, being often forced, in order to maintain the state, to act contrary...”
“What remains to be done must be done by you; since in order not to deprive us of our free will and such share of glory as belongs to us, God will not do everything himself.”
“[...T]he ways of God have been manifested beyond example: the sea is divided, the cloud has led the way, the rock has poured forth water, it has rained manna, everything has contributed to your gre...”
“... By disarming, you at once give offense, since you show your subjects that you distrust them, either as doubting their courage, or as doubting their fidelity, each of which imputations begets ha...”
“... On the whole, the best fortress you can have, is in not being hated by your subjects. If they hate you no fortress will save you...”
“Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes but few have the gift of penetration.”
