Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes - Page 15

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....those who become princes through their skill acquire the pricipality with difficulty, buy they hold onto it with ease.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Skills, Ease, Politics

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Human beings remain constant in their methods of conduct.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Method, Constant, Humans

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Violence must be inflicted once for all; people will then forget what it tastes like and so be less resentful. Benefits must be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Art, War, People

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Present wars impoverish the lords that win as much as those that lose.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Art, War, Winning

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For as laws are necessary that good manners be preserved, so there is need of good manners that law may be maintained.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Law, Good Man, Needs

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(A ruler) cannot and should not keep his word when to do so would go against his interests or when the reason he pledged it no longer holds.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Reason, Should, Interest

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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

Niccolo Machiavelli

Physicians, Fever, Easy

Niccolo Machiavelli (2010). “The Prince”, p.9, FastPencil Inc

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It is the duty of a man of honor to teach others the good which he has not been able to do himself because of the malignity of the times, that this good finally can be done by another more loved in heaven.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Men, Heaven, Honor

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Without doubt, ferocious and disordered men are much weaker than timid and ordered ones. For order chases fear from men and disorder lessens ferocity.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Art, War, Men

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...it behooves us to adapt oneself to the times if one wants to enjoy continued good fortune.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Life, Want, Fortune

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Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Nature, Teaching, Ambition

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A prince must not have any objective nor any thought, nor take up any art, other than the art of war and its ordering and discipline; because it is the only art that pertains to him who commands. And it is of such virtue that not only does it maintain those who were born princes, but many times makes men rise to that rank from private station.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Art, War, Men

The Prince ch. 14 (1532) (translation by Angelo M. Codevilla)

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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.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Lying, Men, Errors

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There is nothing that Nature seems to have inclined us to as much as society.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Society, Seems

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Sometimes it has been of great moment while the fight is going on, to disseminate words that pronounce the enemies' captain to be dead, or to have been conquered by another part of the army. Many times this has given victory to him who used it.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Art, War, Fighting

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...people are by nature fickle, and it is easy to persuade them of something, but difficult to keep them persuaded.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Nature, People, Fickle

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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.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Art, War, Opportunity

"Discourses on Livy" by Niccolò Machiavelli, book 1, ch. 3, 1517.

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...the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Believe, Mankind, Incredulity

Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.19, Knickerbocker Classics

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A prince being thus obliged to know well how to act as a beast must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from snares, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Art, War, Wish

"The Prince". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, ch. 17, 1513.

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The Swiss are well armed and enjoy great freedom.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Swiss, Enjoy, Wells

Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.40, Race Point Publishing

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...it is a base thing to look to others for your defense instead of depending upon yourself. That defense alone is effectual, sure, and durable which depends upon yourself and your own valor.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Defense, Looks, Valor

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Men may second fortune, but they cannot thwart her.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Men, May, Fortune

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For one change always leaves a dovetail into which another will fit.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Fit

Niccolo Machiavelli, Sir Thomas More, Sir (2010). “Machiavelli, More & Luther”, p.8, Cosimo, Inc.

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For it must be noted, that men must either be caressed or else annihilated; they will revenge themselves for small injuries, but cannot do so for great ones; the injury therefore that we do to a man must be such that we need not fear his vengeance.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Revenge, Men, Needs

Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.9, Knickerbocker Classics

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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.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Art, Kings, War

"The Prince". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, ch. 3, as translated by RM Adams, 1513.

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Born: May 3, 1469
Died: June 21, 1527
Occupation: Historian
Cite this Page: Citation

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