No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Goals
Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Humanity, Humankind
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
Topics: Purpose
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.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Ideals, Idealism
It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage, that the creation of a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new ones.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Change, Expectations
It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Honor, Humility, Society
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.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Virtue, Vice
The principal foundation of all states is in good laws and good arms.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Government
No one should be astonished if in the following discussion of completely new princedoms and of the prince and of government, I bring up the noblest examples. Because, since men almost always walk in the paths beaten by others and carry on their affairs by imitating even though it is not possible to keep wholly in the paths of others or to attain the ability of those you imitate prudent man will always choose to take paths beaten by great men and to imitate those who have been especially admirable, in order that if his ability does not reach theirs, at least it may offer some suggestion of it; and he will act like prudent archers, who, seeing that the mark they plan to hit is too far away and knowing what space can be covered by the power of their bows, take an aim much higher than their mark, not in order to reach with their arrows so great a height, but to be able, with the aid of so high an aim, to attain their purpose.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
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
Topics: Willpower, Will, Will Power
The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Promises
It should be noted that when he seizes a state the new ruler ought to determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He should inflict them once and for all, and not have to renew them every day.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: War
Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Hatred, Hate
A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Promises
Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Kindness
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
Topics: Leadership, Leaders, Change
Only those cities and countries that are free can achieve greatness…. In free countries we also see wealth increase more rapidly, both that which results from the culture of the soil and that which is produced by industry and art; for everybody gladly multiplies those things, and seeks to acquire those goods the possession of which he can tranquilly enjoy.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Freedom
In our own days we have seen no princes accomplish great results save those who have been accounted miserly.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
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
Topics: Nationalism, Nationality, Weather, Nation, Nations
There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: War
Whoever takes it upon himself to establish a commonwealth and prescribe laws must presuppose all men naturally bad, and that they will yield to their innate evil passions as often as they can do so with safety.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Evil
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.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Greed
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.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Justice, Judgment, Judging, Judges
It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Perception
A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one’s own ignorance.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Intelligence
Ambition is so powerful a passion in the human breast, that however high we reach, we are never satisfied.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Ambition
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
Topics: Weapon, War
Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Willpower, Motivation, Will Power, Will
Decide which is the line of conduct that presents the fewest drawbacks and then follow it out as being the best one, because one never finds anything perfectly pure and unmixed, or exempt from danger.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Risk, Decisions, Danger
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Leon Battista Alberti Italian Architect
- Henry Kissinger American Diplomat
- Pietro Aretino Italian Author
- Thomas Hobbes English Political Philosopher
- Thomas Aquinas Italian Catholic Priest
- Giacomo Leopardi Italian Poet
- John Stuart Mill English Philosopher, Economist
- Jeremy Bentham British Philosopher, Economist
- Baruch Spinoza Dutch Philosopher
- Michel de Montaigne French Essayist
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