Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes, Decision Quotes, Lines Quotes

Decide which is the line of conduct that presents the fewest drawbacks and then follow it out as being the best one, because one never finds anything perfectly pure and unmixed, or exempt from danger.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Decision Quotes , Lines Quotes

Before all else, be armed.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Peace Quotes , War Quotes

...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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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Defense Quotes , Looks Quotes

It is better to be adventurous than cautious, because fortune is a woman.

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The prince who relies upon their words, without having otherwise provided for his security, is ruined; for friendships that are won by awards, and not by greatness and nobility of soul, although deserved, yet are not real, and cannot be depended upon in time of adversity.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Time Quotes , Real Quotes

My view is that it is desirable to be both loved and feared; but it is difficult to achieve both and, if one of them has to be lacking, it is much safer to be feared than loved.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Views Quotes , Achieve Quotes

Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, for everyone can see and few can feel. Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Eye Quotes , Men Quotes

Nothing is of greater importance in time of war than in knowing how to make the best use of a fair opportunity when it is offered.

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Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Lions Quotes , Foxes 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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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , Father Quotes

...people are by nature fickle, and it is easy to persuade them of something, but difficult to keep them persuaded.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Nature Quotes , People Quotes

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.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes

Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Fickle Quotes , Literature Quotes

Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see but few can test by feeling. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are; and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Men Quotes , Sight 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

One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Change Quotes , Philosophical 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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The innovator has for enemies all who have done well under the old, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Enemy Quotes , Done Quotes

Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Hate Quotes , Philosophical Quotes

I don't doubt that every prince would like to be both; but since it is hard to accomodate these qualities, if you have to make a choice, to be feared is much safer than to be loved. For it is a good general rule about men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceivers, fearful of danger and greedy for gain....[love] is a link of obligation which men, because they are rotten, will break anything they think doing so serves their advantage; but fear involves dread of punishment, from which they can never escape.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Liars Quotes , Love Is Quotes