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  • Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes   389
  • 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 his own ruin than his preservation.
  • 5 years ago



    Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes
  • 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.
  • 5 years ago



    Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Men Quotes , Self Quotes
  • All who contribute to the overthrow of religion, or to the ruin of kingdoms and commonwealths, all who are foes to letters and to the arts which confer honour and benefit on the human race (among whom I reckon the impious, the cruel, the ignorant, the indolent, the base and the worthless), are held in infamy and detestation.
  • 5 years ago



    Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , Race Quotes
  • Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.
  • 5 years ago



    Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , War Quotes , Men Quotes
  • 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 the sagacious lawgiver, but the reasons for which are not sufficiently evident to enable him to persuade others to submit to them; and therefore do wise men, for the purpose of removing this difficulty, resort to divine authority.
  • 5 years ago



    Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Wise Quotes , Men Quotes
  • The reason is that nature has so created men that they are able to desire everything but are not able to attain everything: so that the desire being always greater than the acquisition, there results discontent with the possession and little satisfaction to themselves from it. From this arises the changes in their fortunes; for as men desire, some to have more, some in fear of losing their acquisition, there ensues enmity and war, from which results the ruin of that province and the elevation of another.
  • 5 years ago



    Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes
  • We must distinguish between those who depend on others, that is between those who to achieve their purposes can force the issue and those who must use persuasion. In the second case, they always come to grief, having achieved nothing; when, however, they depend on their own resources and can force the issue, then they are seldom endangered.
  • 5 years ago



    Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes