Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.
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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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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The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.
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Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
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It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.
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But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.
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Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
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It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
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It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.
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Before all else, be armed.
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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.
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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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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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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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The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
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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.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI