Men always praise antiquity and fault the present, although not always reasonably, and they are partisans of things past such that not only do they celebrate those ages that they know from what historians have preserved of them, but also those that as old men they recall having seen in their youth. And if this opinion of theirs is false, as it is most of the time, I am persuaded that there are various causes that lead them into this deception.

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About Niccol Machiavelli

Niccol Machiavelli was a medieval florentine statesman, diplomat, and political theorist. Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was a Florentine diplomat, author, philosopher, and historian who lived during the Italian Renaissance. He is best known for his political treatise The Prince, written around 1513 but not published until 1532, five years after his death. Read more on Wikipedia →

Themes

  • History — Lessons from the past and the arc of human civilisation
  • Time — Reflections on the passage of time and how we spend it

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