A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLIThe fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.
More Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes
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Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
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I’m not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.
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Men are so simple and yield so readily to the desires of the moment that he who will trick will always find another who will suffer to be tricked.
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Benefits ought to be handed ought drop by drop, so that they may be relished the more.
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Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.
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For among other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible; which is one of those disgraceful things which a prince must guard against.
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Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.
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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.
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The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow.
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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.
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This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.
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There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.
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His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.
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The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.
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It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI