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.

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...it is a base thing to look to others for your defense instead of depending upon yourself. That defense alone is effectual, sure, and durable which depends upon yourself and your own valor.

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

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God and nature have thrown all human fortunes into the midst of mankind; and they are thus attainable rather by rapine than by industry, by wicked actions rather than by good. Hence it is that men feed upon each other, and those who cannot defend themselves must be worried.

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I say that every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel. He must, however, take care not to misuse this mercifulness.

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The forces of adversaries are more diminished by the loss of those who flee than of those who are killed.

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

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And it will always happen that he who is not your friend will request your neutrality and he who is your friend will ask you to declare yourself by taking up arms. And irresolute princes, in order to avoid present dangers, follow the neutral road most of the time, and most of the time they are ruined.

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For titles do not reflect honor on men, but rather men on their titles.

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Rome remained free for four hundred years and Sparta eight hundred, although their citizens were armed all that time; but many other states that have been disarmed have lost their liberties in less than forty years.

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Every little advantage is of great moment when men have to come to blows.

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Men ought either to be well treated, or crushed.

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A prince need trouble little about conspiracies when the people are well disposed, but when they are hostile and hold him in hatred, then he must fear everything and everybody.

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It is much better to tempt fortune where it can favor you than to see your certain ruin by not tempting it.

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For as laws are necessary that good manners may be preserved, so there is need of good manner that laws may be maintained. [It., Perche, cosi come i buoni costumi, per mantenersi, hanno bisogno delli leggi; cosi le leggi per ossevarsi, hanno bisogno de' buoni costumi.]

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Law Quotes , Good Man Quotes

If the chief party, whether it be the people, or the army, or the nobility, which you think most useful and of most consequence to you for the conservation of your dignity, be corrupt, you must follow their humor and indulge them, and in that case honesty and virtue are pernicious.

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He who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation.

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If the present be compared with the remote past, it is easily seen that in all cities and in all peoples there are the same desires and the same passions as there always were.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Passion Quotes , Past Quotes

A battle that you win cancels any other bad action of yours. In the same way, by losing one, all the good things worked by you before become vain.

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One of the great secrets of the day is to know how to take possession of popular prejudices and passions, in such a way as to introduce a confusion of principles which makes impossible all understanding between those who speak the same language and have the same interests.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Passion Quotes , Confusion Quotes