Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes, Art Quotes, War Quotes

It makes him hated above all things, as I have said, to be rapacious, and to be a violator of the property and women of his subjects, from both of which he must abstain.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes

But in Republics there is a stronger vitality, a fiercer hatred, a keener thirst for revenge. 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.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Memories Quotes , Revenge Quotes

One can generally say this about men: that they are ungrateful, fickle, simulators and deceivers, avoiders of danger, greedy for gain; and while you work for their good they are completely yours, offering you their blood, their property, their lives, and their sons when danger is far away; but when it comes nearer to you, they turn away.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Philosophical Quotes , Son Quotes

The reply is, that one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be wanting. For it may be said of men in general that they are ungrateful, voluble, dissemblers, anxious to avoid danger, and covetous of gain; as long as you benefit them, they are entirely yours; they offer you their blood, their goods, their life, and their children, as I have before said, when the necessity is remote; but when it approaches, they revolt.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , Children Quotes

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

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For titles do not reflect honor on men, but rather men on their titles.

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

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When neither their property nor their honor is touched, the majority of men live content.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Happiness Quotes , Happy Quotes

Besides what has been said, people are fickle by nature; and it is a simple to convince them of something but difficult to hold them in that conviction; and, therefore, affairs should be managed in such a way that when they no longer believe, they can be made to believe by force.

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By the delusions of seeming good the people are often misled to desire their own ruin; and they are frequently influenced by great hopes and brave promises.

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Good order and discipline in any army are to be depended upon more than courage alone.

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the wise man should always follow the roads that have been trodden by the great, and imitate those who have most excelled, so that if he cannot reach their perfection, he may at least acquire something of its savour.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Wise Quotes , Men Quotes

Still, a prince should make himself feared in such a way that if he does not gain love, he at any rate avoids hatred; for fear and the absence of hatred may well go together, and will be always attained by one who abstains from interfering with the property of his citizens and subjects or with their women.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes

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.

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It is much safer for the prince to be feared than loved, but he ought to avoid making himself hated.

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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.

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For government consists in nothing else but so controlling subjects that they shall neither be able to, nor have cause to do [it] harm.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Government Quotes , Able Quotes

It should be borne in mind that there is nothing more difficult to arrange, more doubtful of success, and more dangerous to carry through than initiating changes. The innovator makes enemies of all those who prospered under the old order, and only lukewarm support is forthcoming from those who would prosper under the new. Their support is lukewarm ... partly because men are generally incredulous, never really trusting new things unless they have tested them by experience.

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

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Fall Quotes , Arms Quotes

A prince must be prudent enough to know how to escape the bad reputation of those vices that would lose the state for him, and must protect himself from those that will not lose it for him, if this is possible; but if he cannot, he need not concern himself unduly if he ignores these less serious vices.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Vices Quotes , Needs Quotes