Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Niccolo Machiavelli (Florentine Political Philosopher)

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469–1527) was a Florentine statesman, political philosopher, and dramatist.

Machiavelli was born in Florence to an aristocratic family. Not much is known of the first half of his life. After holding high office in Florence as an administrator for diplomacy and warfare, and later as an ambassador, he was exiled by the Medicis on suspicion of conspiracy.

Machiavelli is best known for his Il Principe (The Prince, 1532) a manual on obtaining and holding onto power. The Prince advises leaders that, in a harsh political world, the acquisition and the effective use of power may sometimes require unethical and deceitful methods that are not in and of themselves desirable.

Machiavelli is considered the originator of the philosophy of political pragmatism wherein “the ends justify the means” and morality is irrelevant. His writings and career are subject to varied interpretations. The term Machiavellian—used to describe cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous political behavior—arose from a misunderstanding that he advocated evil for its own sake.

Machiavelli’s other principal political and historical works include Discorsi sopra la prima deca di Livio (A Commentary on the First Ten Books of Livy, c.1516–19,) Dell’arte Della Guerra (On the Art of War, 1519–20,) and Istorie Fiorentine (A History of Florence, c.1520–25.) He also wrote the Italian Renaissance comedy Mandragola (The Mandrake Root, c.1518,) and a novella, a few satirical poems, and an impressive collection of letters.

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It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
Niccolo Machiavelli

He who is the cause of another’s advancement is thereby the cause of his own ruin.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Waste

One ought never to allow a disorder to take place in order to avoid war, for war is not thereby avoided, but only deferred to your disadvantage.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: War

Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Performance, Power

Fear is secured by a dread of punishment.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Fear

All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s possible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Acting, Act, Risk, Mistake, Anger, Strength, Action

Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Decisions

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: Nations, Nation, Weather, Nationalism, Nationality

If the course of human affairs be considered, it will be seen that many things arise against which heaven does not allow us to guard.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Destiny

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.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Imitation

Tardiness often robs us opportunity, and the dispatch of our forces.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Punctuality

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: Change, Leadership, Leaders

Men must either be caressed or else annihilated; they will revenge themselves for small injuries, but cannot do so for great ones; the injury therefore that we do to a man must be such that we need not fear his vengeance.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Anger

Only those means of security are good, are certain, are lasting, that depend on yourself and your own vigor.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Confidence, Safety, Self-reliance, Security

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

When neither their property nor their honor is touched, the majority of men live content.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Honor, Happiness

If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Vengeance

It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Perception

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

We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Fortune

There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new order of things….. Whenever his enemies have occasion to attack the innovator they do so with the passion of partisans, while the others defend him sluggishly so that the innovator and his party alike are vulnerable.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Leadership

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

In truth, there never was any remarkable lawgiver amongst any people who did not resort to divine authority, as otherwise his laws would not have been accepted by the people; for there are many good laws, the importance of which is known to be..
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Authority

Men are so simple and yield so readily to the wants of the moment that he who will trick will always find another who will suffer himself to be tricked.
Niccolo Machiavelli

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

There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Intelligence, Virtues

It is better to be bold than too circumspect, because fortune is of a sex which likes not a tardy wooer and repulses all who are not ardent.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Boldness

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
Topics: Goodness, Virtues, Virtue

A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Promises

So long as the great majority of men are not deprived of either property or honor, they are satisfied.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Property

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