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.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLIBut when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.
More Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes
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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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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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A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.
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If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
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The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.
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A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.
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The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.
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There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
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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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To understand the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to understand the nature of the prince, one must be of the people.
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Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself.
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It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
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Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
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No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.
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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