Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes (145 Quotes)


    Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself.

    each candidate behaved well in the hope of being judged worthy of election. However, this system was disastrous when the city had become corrupt. For then it was not the most virtuous but the most powerful who stood for election, and the weak, even if virtuous, were too frightened to run for office.

    Men sooner forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony.

    It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.



    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.

    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.

    Whoever desires to found a state and give it laws, must start with assuming that all men are bad and ever ready to display their vicious nature, whenever they may find occasion for it.

    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.

    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.


    May princes know then that they begin to lose (their) state at that hour in which they begin to break the laws and those customs and usages that are ancient and under which men have lived for a long time.

    The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.

    So long as the great majority of men are not deprived of either property or honor, they are satisfied

    There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.

    I shall always esteem it not much to live in a city where the laws do less than men, because that fatherland is desirable where possessions and friends can be securely enjoyed, not where they can be easily taken from you, and friends for few of thems

    Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see, but only a few can test by feeling. 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.

    We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.

    It is often found that modesty and humility not only do no good, but are positively hurtful, when they are shown to the arrogant who have taken up a prejudice against you, either from envy or from any other cause.

    He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building.

    Fortune is a woman, and therefore friendly to the young, who with audacity command her.

    Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds.

    There is no other way for securing yourself against flatteries except that men understand that they do not offend you by telling you the truth but when everybody can tell you the truth, you fail to get respect


    Prudence consists in the power to recognize the nature of disadvantages and to take the less disagreeable as good.

    The prince who relies upon their words, without having otherwise provided for his security, is ruined for friendships that are won by awards, and not by greatness and nobility of soul, although deserved, yet are not real, and cannot be depended upon in time of adversity.

    One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.

    A son could bear complacently the death of his father while the loss of his inheritance might drive him to despair


    God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.

    As laws are necessary that good manners may be preserved, so there is need of good manners that laws may be maintained.

    Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.

    There are three classes of intellects one which comprehends by itself another which appreciates what others comprehend and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless.

    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.

    I desire to go to Hell, not to Heaven. In Hell I shall enjoy the company of popes, kings and princes, but in Heaven are only beggars, monks, hermits and apostles.

    Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot.



    Many have imagined republics and principalities which have never been seen or known to exist in reality for how we live is so far removed from how we ought to live, that he who abandons what is done for what ought to be done, will rather bring about


    There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, that to institute a new order of things



    Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.

    Many have dreamed up republics and principalities that have never in truth been known to exist the gulf between how one should live and how one does live is so wide that a man who neglects what is actually done for what should be done learns the way to self-destruction rather than self-preservation.

    There is no other way of guarding oneself against flattery than by letting men understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth but when everyone can tell you the truth, you lose their respect.

    Men nearly always follow the tracks made by others and proceed in their affairs by imitation, even though they cannot entirely keep to the tracks of others or emulate the prowess of their models. So a prudent man should always follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been outstanding. If his own prowess fails to compare with theirs, at least it has an air of greatness about it. He should behave like those archers who, if they are skilful, when the target seems too distant, know the capabilities of their bow and aim a good deal higher than their objective, not in order to shoot so high but so that by aiming high they can reach the target.

    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.

    The people resemble a wild beast, which, naturally fierce and accustomed to live in the woods, has been brought up, as it were, in a prison and in servitude, and having by accident got its liberty, not being accustomed to search for its food, and not knowing where to conceal itself, easily becomes the prey of the first who seeks to incarcerate it again.

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


    Related Authors


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