Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes

Quotes about:

• Always assume incompetence before looking for conspiracy.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Assuming, Conspiracy, Incompetence

  133 Copy quote

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

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Regret, Repent

  245 Copy quote

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

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Government, Doe, Citizens

  360 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

  409 Copy quote

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

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Inspirational, Relationship, Marketing

  383 Copy quote

• Politics have no relation to morals.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Political, Nerd, Politics

  225 Copy quote

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

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Ignorance, Intelligence, Awareness

  305 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.

  426 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

  267 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

  394 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

  122 Copy quote

• Before all else, be armed.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Peace, War, Philosophical

  46 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

  249 Copy quote

• All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it's impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Mistake, Ambition, Greatness

  "The Prince". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, chapter III: Of Mixed Princedoms, 1513.

  64 Copy quote

• Never was anything great achieved without danger.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Success, Philosophical, Danger

  86 Copy quote

• If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Revenge, Men, Needs

  109 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

  142 Copy quote

• For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Truth, Reality, Empathy

  48 Copy quote

• If you only notice human proceedings, you may observe that all who attain great power and riches, make use of either force or fraud; and what they have acquired either by deceit or violence, in order to conceal the disgraceful methods of attainment, they endeavor to sanctify with the false title of honest gains.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Order

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2018). “History of Florence and the Affairs of Italy”, p.115, Ozymandias Press

  145 Copy quote

• Men are so stupid and concerned with their present needs, they will always let themselves be deceived.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Stupid, Men, Needs

  325 Copy quote

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

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Liars, Lying, Philosophical

  "The Prince".

  55 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

  324 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

  295 Copy quote

• I desire to go to Hell and not to Heaven. In the former I shall enjoy the company of popes, kings and princes, while in the latter are only beggars, monks and apostles

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Death, Kings, Heaven

  347 Copy quote

• One of the great secrets of the day is to know how to take possession of popular prejudices and passions, in such a way as to introduce a confusion of principles which makes impossible all understanding between those who speak the same language and have the same interests.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Passion, Confusion, Understanding

  296 Copy quote

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