Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLISo that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.
More Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes
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Severities should be dealt out all at once, so that their suddenness may give less offense.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI -
Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries – for heavy ones they cannot.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI -
This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI -
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.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI -
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 -
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 MACHIAVELLI -
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI -
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.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI -
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI -
Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI -
Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI -
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.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI -
There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.
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A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI