Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes

Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Evil Gain Good Hatred Much
Before all else, be armed.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

All Arm Before Isle
Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Fear Inspire Men Offend Shrink
There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Contempt Country Decay Religion See Sign Sure
It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Deceive Deceiver Double Pressure
There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Advantage Avoid Postpone War
One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Always Deceive Find One Themselvesm Deceive
Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Arm Come Destroy Prophet Victorious
A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Bear Despair Drive Father Inheritance Loss Qquanmity Son
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.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Another Find Men Moment Simple Suffer Tricked Yield
One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Always Change Establishment Leave One Open Other
Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Dangerous Element Far Government More Other Prince Society
So that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Does Either Fear Indulge Injury Ought Vengeance
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

Act Arrange Free Law Lay Men Necessity Presupoose Scope State Wickedness
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

Destry Injure Men Merely Offend Ought Retailable Unable Vengeance
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.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Ancient Composite Foundation Good Inevitable Law Man State Time
It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Fear Love More Much Secure
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.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Ashamed Contrary Example God Imitate Influence Strive Such Wick
Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Fickle Gain General Greedy Hypocritical Man Mankind
Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Benefit Better Conferred Gradually Taste Way
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.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Appreciate Intelligence Kind Offer Understand
Politics have no relation to morals.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Moral Politics Relation
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.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Breath Constant Execute Executem Furnish Leisure Military Peace Plan Prince War Study
Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries – for heavy ones they cannot.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Destroy Generous heavy Injury Men One Revenge Sight
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Command Know Must Obey Wish
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.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Difficult Lack Love Safer Since Since Fear Together Two Must
No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Conceal Enemy Enterprise Execution Likely More No Ripe

Other Famous Personalities