Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes, Powerful Quotes, Grief Quotes

It is a true observation of ancient writers, that as men are apt to be cast down by adversity, so they, are easily satiated with prosperity, and that joy and grief produce the same effects. For whenever men are not obliged by necessity to fight they fight from ambition, which is so powerful a passion in the human breast that however high we reach we are never satisfied.

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Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please.

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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.

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One can generally say this about men: that they are ungrateful, fickle, simulators and deceivers, avoiders of danger, greedy for gain; and while you work for their good they are completely yours, offering you their blood, their property, their lives, and their sons when danger is far away; but when it comes nearer to you, they turn away.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Philosophical Quotes , Son Quotes

And if such malignity is hidden for a time, it proceeds from the unknown reason that would not be known because the experience of the contrary had not been seen, but time, which is said to be the father of every truth, will cause it to be discovered.

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A prince ought to have two fears, one from within, on account of his subjects, the other from without, on account of external powers.

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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.

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Always assume incompetence before looking for conspiracy.

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as the physicians say it happens in hectic fever, that in the beginning of the malady it is easy to cure but difficult to detect, but in the course of time, not having been either detected or treated in the beginning, it becomes easy to detect but difficult to cure

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Hence it happened that all the armed prophets conquered, all the unarmed perished. [It., Di qui nacque che tutti li profeti armati vincero, e li disarmati rovinarono.]

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , War Quotes , Prophet Quotes

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.

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War brings out thieves and peace hangs them.

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No one should therefore fear that he cannot accomplish what others have accomplished, for, men are born, live, and die in quite the same way they always have.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Men Quotes , Way Quotes

Men are less hesitant about harming someone who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared because love is held together by a chain of obligation which, since men are wretched creatures, is broken on every occasion in which their own interests are concerned; but fear is sustained by dread of punishment which will never abandon you.

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In conclusion, the arms of others either fall from your back, or they weigh you down, or they bind you fast.

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To ensure victory the troops must have confidence in themselves as well as in their commanders.

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Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.

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There is simply no comparison between a man who is armed and one who is not. It is simply unreasonable to expect that an armed man should obey one who is unarmed, or that an unarmed man should remain safe and secure when his servants are armed.

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Change has no constituency.

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Prudence therefore consists in knowing how to distinguish degrees of disadvantage.

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