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No one should be astonished if in the following discussion of completely new princedoms and of the prince and of government, I bring up the noblest examples. Because, since men almost always walk in the paths beaten by others and carry on their affairs by imitatingeven though it is not possible to keep wholly in the paths of others or to attain the ability of those you imitatea prudent man will always choose to take paths beaten by great men and to imitate those who have been especially admirable, in order that if his ability does not reach theirs, at least it may offer some suggestion of it; and he will act like prudent archers, who, seeing that the mark they plan to hit is too far away and knowing what space can be covered by the power of their bows, take an aim much higher than their mark, not in order to reach with their arrows so great a height, but to be able, with the aid of so high an aim, to attain their purpose.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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From this we learn that a wise prince sees to it that never, in order to attack someone, does he become the ally of a prince more powerful than himself, except when necessity forces him, as I said above. If you win, you are the powerful kings prisoner, and wise princes avoid as much as they can being in other mens power.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Because just as good morals, if they are to be maintained, have need of the laws, so the laws, if they are to be observed, have need of good morals.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Ambition
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Ambition is so powerful a passion in the human breast, that however high we reach we are never satisfied.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Change
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One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Danger
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Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Goals
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No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.
-Niccolo Machiavelli, The Art of War, 1521
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Greed
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The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Hate
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Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Honor
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It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Humanity
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Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Idealism
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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.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Imitation
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Men nearly always follow the tracks made by others and proceed in their affairs by imitation, even though they cannot entirely keep to the tracks of others or emulate the prowess of their models. So a prudent man should always follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been outstanding. If his own prowess fails to compare with theirs, at least it has an air of greatness about it. He should behave like those archers who, if they are skilful, when the target seems too distant, know the capabilities of their bow and aim a good deal higher than their objective, not in order to shoot so high but so that by aiming high they can reach the target.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Inheritance
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Men sooner forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Intelligence
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There are three kinds of intelligence; one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.
-Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, 1514
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Judging, Judgment
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Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see, but only a few can test by feeling. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are, and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Men are more apt to be mistaken in their generalizations than in their particular observations.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Kindness
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Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Leadership
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There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new order of things..... Whenever his enemies have occasion to attack the innovator they do so with the passion of partisans, while the others defend him sluggishly so that the innovator and his party alike are vulnerable.
-Niccolo Machiavelli, source date 1513
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He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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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
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Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Nation, Nationality, Nationalism
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States that rise quickly, just as all the other things of nature that are born and grow rapidly, cannot have roots and ramifications; the first bad weather kills them.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Perception
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It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
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Books by and about Niccolo Machiavelli