Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes, Liars Quotes, Love Is 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

You must never believe that the enemy does not know how to conduct his own affairs. Indeed, if you want to be deceived less and want to bear less danger, the more the enemy is weak or the less the enemy is cautious, so much more must you esteem him.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War 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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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Men Quotes , Track 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

Then also pretexts for seizing property are never wanting, and one who begins to live by rapine will always find some reason for taking the goods of others, whereas causes for taking life are rarer and more quickly destroyed.

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The princes who have done great things are the ones who have taken little account of their promises.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , War Quotes , Taken Quotes

The sinews of war are not gold, but good soldiers.

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Never was anything great achieved without danger.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Success Quotes , Philosophical Quotes

Occasionally words must serve to veil the facts. But let this happen in such a way that no one become aware of it; or, if it should be noticed, excuses must be at hand to be produced immediately.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Hands Quotes , Veils Quotes

With difficulty he is beaten who can estimate his own forces and those of his enemy.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Enemy Quotes , Force Quotes

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

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Business Quotes , War Quotes

Never lead your soldiers to battle if you have not first confirmed their spirit and known them to be without fear and ordered; and never test them except when you see that they hope to win.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes

A prince is also respected when he is a true friend and a true enemy; that is, when he declares himself on the side of one prince against another without any reservation.

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The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Business Quotes , Doe Quotes

There are three kinds of brains. The one understands things unassisted, the other understands things when shown by others, the third understands neither alone nor with the explanations of others.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Brain Quotes , Three Quotes

Besides what has been said, people are fickle by nature; and it is a simple to convince them of something but difficult to hold them in that conviction; and, therefore, affairs should be managed in such a way that when they no longer believe, they can be made to believe by force.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Believe Quotes , Simple Quotes

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

He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , May Quotes , Able 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.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Peace Quotes , War Quotes

A wise ruler should rely on what is under his own control, not on what is under the control of others.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Wise Quotes , Should Quotes