Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes

Quotes about:

• A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one's own ignorance.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Ignorance, Intelligence, Awareness

  332 Copy quote

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

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Inspirational, Relationship, Marketing

  407 Copy quote

• it is better to act and repent than not to act and regret.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Regret, Repent

  264 Copy quote

• The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Work, Philosophical, Men

  "The Prince". Book by Niccolo Machiavelli, Ch. 22, 1513.

  458 Copy quote

• Power is the pivot on which everything hinges. He who has the power is always right; the weaker is always wrong.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Always Wrong, Hinges

  286 Copy quote

• Politics have no relation to morals.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Political, Nerd, Politics

  246 Copy quote

• The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Lions, Foxes, Traps

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.55, Knickerbocker Classics

  431 Copy quote

• Always assume incompetence before looking for conspiracy.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Assuming, Conspiracy, Incompetence

  154 Copy quote

• The ends justifies the means.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Mean, Ends, Ends Justify The Means

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2003). “Discourses on Livy”, p.444, OUP Oxford

  147 Copy quote

• A government which does not trust its citizens to be armed is not itself to be trusted.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Government, Doe, Citizens

  384 Copy quote

• Women are the most charitable creatures, and the most troublesome. He who shuns women passes up the trouble, but also the benefits. He who puts up with them gains the benefits, but also the trouble. As the saying goes, there's no honey without bees.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Benefits, Honey, Gains

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2009). “The Essential Writings of Machiavelli”, p.456, Modern Library

  413 Copy quote

• People should either be caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage they will get their revenge; but if you cripple them there is nothing they can do. If you need to injure someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Revenge, Badass, Bad Ass

  46 Copy quote

• One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Liars, Lying, Philosophical

  "The Prince".

  63 Copy quote

• Before all else, be armed.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Peace, War, Philosophical

  67 Copy quote

• Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Men, Numbers, Trying

  310 Copy quote

• Men are driven by two principal impulses, either by love or by fear.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Inspirational, Men, Two

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2003). “Discourses on Livy”, p.302, OUP Oxford

  138 Copy quote

• The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Wise, Wisdom, Opportunity

  171 Copy quote

• Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Inspirational, Motivational, Passion

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.222, Race Point Publishing

  158 Copy quote

• It is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved? It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both: but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Love, Witty, Powerful

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2015). “The Prince”, p.64, Booklassic

  75 Copy quote

• The leader should know how to enter into evil when necessity commands.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Evil, Leader, Should

  32 Copy quote

• There is nothing more important than appearing to be religious.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Religious, Important, Appearing

  "Machiavelli's The Prince, part 6: was Machiavelli an atheist?" by Nick Spencer, www.theguardian.com. April 30, 2012.

  121 Copy quote

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

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Country, Philosophical, Religion

  42 Copy quote

• Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  War, Ends, Please

  "Florentine Histories" by Niccolò Machiavelli, 1526.

  81 Copy quote

• It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to enslave a people that wants to remain free.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  People, Political, Trying

  333 Copy quote

• 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.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Self Esteem, Men, Democracy

  262 Copy quote

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