Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes, Philosophical Quotes, Son Quotes

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

So long as the great majority of men are not deprived of either property or honor, they are satisfied.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Men Quotes , Long Quotes

Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare to say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Religious Quotes , Opposites Quotes

Present wars impoverish the lords that win as much as those that lose.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes

If you only notice human proceedings, you may observe that all who attain great power and riches, make use of either force or fraud; and what they have acquired either by deceit or violence, in order to conceal the disgraceful methods of attainment, they endeavor to sanctify with the false title of honest gains.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes

For a prince should have two fears: one, internal concerning his subjects; the other, external, concerning foreign powers. From the latter he can always defend himself by his good troops and friends; and he will always have good friends if he has good troops.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Good Friend Quotes , Should Have Quotes

Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Class Quotes , Appreciate Quotes

The reformer has enemies in all who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Change Quotes , Order Quotes

....nothing is so unhealthy or unstable as the reputation for power that is not based on one's own power.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Politics Quotes , Reputation Quotes

the wise man should always follow the roads that have been trodden by the great, and imitate those who have most excelled, so that if he cannot reach their perfection, he may at least acquire something of its savour.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Wise Quotes , Men Quotes

...the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Believe Quotes , Mankind Quotes

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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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes

And truly it is a very natural and ordinary thing to desire to acquire, and always, when men do it who can, they will be praised or not blamed; but when they cannot, and wish to do it anyway, here lies the error and the blame.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Lying Quotes , Men Quotes

And when neither their property nor honour is touched, the majority of men live content, and he has only to contend with the ambition of a few, whom he can curb with ease in many ways.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes

One never finds anything perfectly pure and ... exempt from danger.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Danger Quotes

In respect to foresight and firmness, the people are more prudent, more stable, and have better judgement than princes.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , People Quotes , Judgement Quotes

For a long time I have not said what I believed, nor do I ever believe what I say, and if indeed sometimes I do happen to tell the truth, I hide it among so many lies that it is hard to find.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Lying Quotes , Believe Quotes

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

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Done Quotes , Ruins Quotes

Severities should be dealt out all at once, so that their suddenness may give less offense; benefits ought to be handed ought drop by drop, so that they may be relished the more.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Giving Quotes , Political Quotes

Whoever is the cause of another becoming powerful, is ruined himself; for that power is produced by him either through craft or force; and both of these are suspected by the one who has been raised to power.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Powerful Quotes , Crafts Quotes