Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes, Art Quotes, War Quotes

As all those have shown who have discussed civil institutions, and as every history is full of examples, it is necessary to whoever arranges to found a Republic and establish laws in it, to presuppose that all men are bad and that they will use their malignity of mind every time they have the opportunity.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes

Delusion gives you more happiness than truth gives to me. For injuries ought to be done all at one time, so that, being tasted less, they offend less; benefits ought to be given little by little, so that the flavour of them may last longer.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Giving Quotes , Done 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

Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Love Quotes , Two Quotes

Although deceit is detestable in all other things, yet in the conduct of war it is laudable and honorable; and a commander who vanquishes an enemy by stratagem is equally praised with one who gains victory by force.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , War Quotes , Enemy Quotes

A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent, so that if he does not attain to their greatness, at any rate he will get some tinge of it.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Greatness Quotes , Men Quotes

There are three kinds of minds: first those that attain insight and understanding of things by their own means, then those that recognize what is right when others explain it to them, and finally those that are capable of neither one nor the other.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Mean Quotes , Understanding 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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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , True Friend 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

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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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Physicians Quotes , Fever Quotes

A wise man will see to it that his acts always seem voluntary and not done by compulsion, however much he may be compelled by necessity.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Wise Quotes , Wisdom Quotes

Many have dreamed up republics and principalities that have never in truth been known to exist; the gulf between how one should live and how one does live is so wide that a man who neglects what is actually done for what should be done learns the way to self-destruction rather than self-preservation.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Men Quotes , Self Quotes

It is a common failing of man not to take account of tempests during fair weather.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Men Quotes , Weather 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

I hold it to be a proof of great prudence for men to abstain from threats and insulting words toward anyone, for neither diminishes the strength of the enemy.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Men Quotes , Insulting 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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Since the handling of arms is a beautiful spectacle, it is delightful to young men.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Beautiful Quotes , Art 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

And if, to be sure, sometimes you need to conceal a fact with words, do it in such a way that it does not become known, or, if it does become known, that you have a ready and quick defense.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Needs Quotes , Defense Quotes

There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Country Quotes , Philosophical Quotes