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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The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Promises
Injuries should be done all together, so that being, less tasted, they will give less offense. Benefits should be granted little by little, so that they may be better enjoyed.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Opportunities
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Intelligence
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
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
Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Performance, Power
It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Perception
Men sooner forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Inheritance
Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Judging, Appearance, Judges, Judgment, Justice
Only those means of security are good, are certain, are lasting, that depend on yourself and your own vigor.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Self-reliance, Confidence, Security, Safety
Men may second fortune, but they cannot thwart her-They may weave her web, but they cannot break it.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Fortune
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
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: One liners, Wishes, Leadership
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, Risk, Mistake, Strength, Action, Act, Anger
As laws are necessary that good manners may be preserved, so good manners are necessary that laws may be maintained.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Manners
Men are more ready to offend one who desires to be beloved than one who wishes to be feared.
—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: Expectations, Change
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
Topics: Class, Power
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
When neither their property nor their honor is touched, the majority of men live content.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Honor, Happiness
In respect to foresight and firmness, the people are more prudent, more stable, and have better judgement than princes.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Man
There are three kinds of brains: One understands of itself, another can be taught to understand, and the third can neither understand to itself or be taught to understand.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Understanding
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
Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Hatred, Hate
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
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
Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Decisions
I certainly think that it is better to be impetuous than cautious, for fortune is a woman, and it is necessary if you wish to master her, to conquer her by force.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Fortune
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
Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Kindness
We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Fortune
So long as the great majority of men are not deprived of either property or honor, they are satisfied.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Property
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
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
Topics: Wisdom
Speaking generally, men are ungrateful, fickle, hypocritical, fearful of danger and covetous of gain.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Man
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: Virtues, Intelligence
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
Topics: Prudence, Insults
Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Danger
From this we learn that a wise prince sees to it that never, in order to attack someone, does he become the ally of a prince more powerful than himself, except when necessity forces him, as I said above. If you win, you are the powerful kings prisoner, and wise princes avoid as much as they can being in other mens power.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
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
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