Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes, Men Quotes, Useless Quotes

Men are of three different capacities: one understands intuitively; another understands so far as it is explained; and a third understands neither of himself nor by explanation. The first is excellent, the second, commendable, and the third, altogether useless.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Men Quotes , Useless Quotes

Because just as good morals, if they are to be maintained, have need of the laws, so the laws, if they are to be observed, have need of good morals.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Law Quotes , Needs Quotes

The reply is, that one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be wanting. For it may be said of men in general that they are ungrateful, voluble, dissemblers, anxious to avoid danger, and covetous of gain; as long as you benefit them, they are entirely yours; they offer you their blood, their goods, their life, and their children, as I have before said, when the necessity is remote; but when it approaches, they revolt.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , Children Quotes

Republics have a longer life and enjoy better fortune than principalities, because they can profit by their greater internal diversity. They are the better able to meet emergencies.

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Men are more apt to be mistaken in their generalizations than in their particular observations.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Men Quotes , Justice Quotes

Cruelties should be committed all at once.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Should Quotes , Cruelty Quotes

If someone puts up the argument that King Louis gave the Romagna to Pope Alexander, and the kingdom of Naples to Spain, in order to avoid a war, I would answer as I did before: that you should never let things get out of hand in order to avoid war. You don't avoid such a war, you merely postpone it, to your own disadvantage.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , Kings Quotes

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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So in all human affairs one notices, if one examines them closely, that it is impossible to remove one inconvenience without another emerging.

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Men are always averse to enterprises in which they foresee difficulties.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Ignorance Quotes , Men Quotes

No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.

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War brings out thieves and peace hangs them.

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How perilous it is to free a people who prefer slavery.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , People Quotes

It is necessary that the prince should know how to color his nature well, and how to be a hypocrite and dissembler. For men are so simple, and yield so much to immediate necessity, that the deceiver will never lack dupes.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Hypocrite Quotes , Simple Quotes

The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Mistake Quotes , Men 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

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

You know better than I that in a Republic talent is always suspect. A man attains an elevated position only when his mediocrity prevents him from being a threat to others. And for this reason a democracy is never governed by the most competent, but rather by those whose insignificance will not jeopardize anyone else's self-esteem.

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Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.

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

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Change Quotes , Philosophical Quotes