War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans. – Niccolo Machiavelli
Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society. – Niccolo Machiavelli
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. – Niccolo Machiavelli
God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us. – Niccolo Machiavelli
Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself. – Niccolo Machiavelli
The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all. – Niccolo Machiavelli
Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain. – Niccolo Machiavelli
To understand the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to understand the nature of the prince, one must be of the people. – Niccolo Machiavelli
Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear. – Niccolo Machiavelli
Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions. – Niccolo Machiavelli
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. – Niccolo Machiavelli
Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds. – Niccolo Machiavelli
There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. – Niccolo Machiavelli
A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests. – Niccolo Machiavelli
It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope. – Niccolo Machiavelli
War is just when it is necessary; arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms. – Niccolo Machiavelli
The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous. – Niccolo Machiavelli
Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed. – Niccolo Machiavelli
We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either. – Niccolo Machiavelli
