Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLITo 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.
More Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes
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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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War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans.
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When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred.
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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 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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Before all else, be armed.
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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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The distinction between children and adults, while probably useful for some purposes, is at bottom a specious one, I feel. There are only individual egos, crazy for love.
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This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.
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We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.
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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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So that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.
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Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
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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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There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI