Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLIWar 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.
More Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes
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It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.
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Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries – for heavy ones they cannot.
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Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking.
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Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
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Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
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There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
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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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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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Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.
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Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.
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Politics have no relation to morals.
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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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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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A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.
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The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI