Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes


It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver. Niccolo Machiavelli Deceive 826
Men sooner forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony. Niccolo Machiavelli Inheritance 288
The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present. Niccolo Machiavelli Promises 168
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. Niccolo Machiavelli Peace 164
Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot. Niccolo Machiavelli Men 142
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command. Niccolo Machiavelli Leadership 140
Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil. Niccolo Machiavelli Hate 136
Men seldom rise from low condition to high rank without employing either force or fraud, unless that rank should be attained either by gift or inheritance. Niccolo Machiavelli Power 133
A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise. Niccolo Machiavelli Promises 126
Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed. Niccolo Machiavelli Armed 125
Tardiness often robs us opportunity, and the dispatch of our forces. Niccolo Machiavelli Punctuality 122
The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it. Niccolo Machiavelli Life 121
Before all else, be armed. Niccolo Machiavelli Armed 120
A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair. Niccolo Machiavelli Bear 116
Politics have no relation to morals. Niccolo Machiavelli Politics 111
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both. Niccolo Machiavelli Feared 105
Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others. Niccolo Machiavelli Men 102
Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself. Niccolo Machiavelli Commits 98
States that rise quickly, just as all the other things of nature that are born and grow rapidly, cannot have roots and ramifications; the first bad weather kills them. Niccolo Machiavelli Nation 90
Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions. Niccolo Machiavelli Men 89
A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests. Niccolo Machiavelli Faith 88
Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking. Niccolo Machiavelli Difficult 88
A wise man will see to it that his acts always seem voluntary and not done by compulsion, however much he may be compelled by necessity. Niccolo Machiavelli Wisdom 87
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 Nature 87
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times. Niccolo Machiavelli change 83
One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived. Niccolo Machiavelli Allow 80
I consider it a mark of great prudence in a man to abstain from threats or any contemptuous expressions, for neither of these weaken the enemy, but threats make him more cautious, and the other excites his hatred, and a desire to revenge himself. Niccolo Machiavelli Prudence 77
With regard to prudence and stability, I say a people is more prudent, more stable and more just than a prince. Niccolo Machiavelli Politics 75
Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration. Niccolo Machiavelli Judging 75
Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear. Niccolo Machiavelli Men 74
War is just when it is necessary; arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms. Niccolo Machiavelli Arms 74
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 Purpose 71
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. Niccolo Machiavelli War 71
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 Will 70
Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds. Niccolo Machiavelli Nature 69
I hope and hoping feeds my pain I weep and weeping feeds my failing heartI laugh but the laughter does not pass withinI burn but the burning makes no mark outside Niccolo Machiavelli Reading 69
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 Benefits 68
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 68
Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great. Niccolo Machiavelli Will 67
One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others. Niccolo Machiavelli change 67
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. Niccolo Machiavelli Success 67
There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others. Niccolo Machiavelli War 65
Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better. Niccolo Machiavelli Kindness 64
Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain. Niccolo Machiavelli Humanity 63
There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt. Niccolo Machiavelli Religion 61
It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles. Niccolo Machiavelli Men 54
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 Men 54
No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution. Niccolo Machiavelli Business 53
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. Niccolo Machiavelli Intelligence 52
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 Virtue 51

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