The Prince
Full text download (Gutenberg)
I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.
It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.
Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see but few can test by feeling.
There is no avoiding war, it can only be postponed to the advantage of your enemy.
Alexander never did what he said, Cesare never said what he did.
Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.
It is a common fault not to anticipate storms when the sea is calm.
An unavoidable war is called justice. When brutality is the only option left it is holy.
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.
Never was anything great achieved without danger.
Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.
Men are driven by two principal impulses, either by love or by fear.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
A prince must not have any other object nor any other thought… but war, its institutions, and its discipline; because that is the only art befitting one who commands.
Never do an enemy a small injury.
Nature creates few men brave, industry and training makes many.
The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.
He who is highly esteemed is not easily conspired against.
The best fortress which a prince can possess is the affection of his people.
A prince is also esteemed when he is a true friend and a true enemy.
The first way to lose a state is to neglect the art of war; the first way to gain a state is to be skilled in the art of war.
There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
That defense alone is effectual, sure, and durable which depends upon yourself and your own valor.
A Prince should esteem the great, but must not make himself odious to the people.
Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experiences what you really are.
The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.
Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are; and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.
There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.
Since love and fear can hardly exist together if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.
Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.
I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.
How we live is so different from how we ought to live that he who studies what ought to be done rather than what is done will learn the way to his downfall rather than to his preservation.
Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain by the new ones.
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
And here comes in the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both.
It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system.
Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good.
- Niccolo Machiavelli.
Appear as you may wish to be.
Wisdom consists of knowing how to distinguish the nature of the trouble, and in choosing the lesser evil.
The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves.
It is better to act and repent than not to act and regret.
One should never fall in the belief that you can find someone to pick you up.
For, in truth, there is no sure way of holding other than by destroying.
...the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.
It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed.
Without an opportunity, their abilities would have been wasted, and without their abilities, the opportunity would have arisen in vain.
Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.
As a general thing, anyone who is not your friend will advise neutrality while anyone who is your friend will ask you to join him, weapon in hand.
If you wish to please me, and to bring success and honor to yourself, do right and study because others will help you if you help yourself.
"Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
"Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good.
He who has once begun to live by robbery will always find pretexts for seizing what belongs to others.
He who thinks new favors will cause great personages to forget old injuries deceives himself.
It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.
"Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires."