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Niccolo Machiavelli

Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes

Historian

Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian historian, political theorist, and philosopher who lived during the Renaissance. He is best known for his book 'The Prince,' which delves into the concepts of power, political tactics, and the art of rule.

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Famous Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes

“No one should therefore fear that he cannot accomplish what others have accomplished, for, men are born, live, and die in quite the same way they always have.”

Men Way Should Dies Born Accomplish Accomplished

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“And if, to be sure, sometimes you need to conceal a fact with words, do it in such a way that it does not become known, or, if it does become known, that you have a ready and quick defense.”

Ifs Way Needs Doe Sometimes Facts Known Ready Defense

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“Any harm you do to a man should be done in such a way that you need not fear his revenge.”

Men Way Needs Should Done Revenge Harm

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.”

Way Change Philosophical Management Moving Forward Establishment

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.”

Men Way Want Facts Grief Virtuous

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.”

Way Should Philosophy Literature Taste Benefits Philosophical Favors

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“A man who is used to acting in one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no longer are in harmony with his ways.”

Men Way Used Acting Harmony Ruins One Way Never Change

Book:The Portable Machiavelli

Source: The Portable Machiavelli

“There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.”

Men Way Flattery

Book:The Portable Machiavelli

Source: The Portable Machiavelli

“How we live is so different from how we ought to live that he who studies what ought to be done rather than what is done will learn the way to his downfall rather than to his preservation.”

Way Different Done Study Ought Preservation Downfall

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“People should either be caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage they will get their revenge; but if you cripple them there is nothing they can do. If you need to injure someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.”

People Ifs Way Needs Should Can Do Revenge Damage Minors Bad Ass Vengeance Badass Crushed Cripples

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“For, in truth, there is no sure way of holding other than by destroying”

Book:Machiavelli, More & Luther

Source: Machiavelli, More & Luther

“One man should not be afraid of improving his posessions, lest they be taken away from him, or another deterred by high taxes from starting a new business. Rather, the Prince should be ready to reward men who want to do these things and those who endeavour in any way to increase the prosperity of their city or their state.”

Men Way Want Should States Cities Liberty Taken Ready Taxes Increase Rewards Starting Prosperity One Man Improving Endeavour New Business High Taxes Starting New Business

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“One of the great secrets of the day is to know how to take possession of popular prejudices and passions, in such a way as to introduce a confusion of principles which makes impossible all understanding between those who speak the same language and have the same interests.”

Knows Way Passion Speak Language Understanding Interest Secret Liberty Principles Know How Impossible Prejudice Possession Confusion Introducing

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“Violence must be inflicted once for all; people will then forget what it tastes like and so be less resentful. Benefits must be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.”

People Way Art War Forget Violence Taste Benefits Art Of War Resentful

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“I am firmly convinced, therefore, that to set up a republic which is to last a long time, the way to set about it is to constitute it as Sparta and Venice were constituted; to place it in a strong position, and so to fortify it that no one will dream of taking it by a sudden assault; and, on the other hand, not to make it so large as to appear formidable to its neighbors. It should in this way be able to enjoy its form of government for a long time. For war is made on a commonwealth for two reasons: to subjugate it, and for fear of being subjugated by it.”

“Still, a prince should make himself feared in such a way that if he does not gain love, he at any rate avoids hatred; for fear and the absence of hatred may well go together, and will be always attained by one who abstains from interfering with the property of his citizens and subjects or with their women.”

Ifs Way Should Wells May Doe Art Stills War Together Subjects Citizens Gains Hatred Property Rate Absence Interfere Art Of War

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“And when neither their property nor honour is touched, the majority of men live content, and he has only to contend with the ambition of a few, whom he can curb with ease in many ways.”

Men Way Art War Ambition Majority Property Ease Touched Honour Art Of War Curb

Book:The Prince

Source: The Prince

“A battle that you win cancels any other bad action of yours. In the same way, by losing one, all the good things worked by you before become vain.”

Way Art War Action Winning Battle Losing Good Things Vain Art Of War Bad Actions

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“When every province of the world so teems with inhabitants that they can neither subsist where they are nor remove themselves elsewhere.”

World Way Three Population Remove Elsewhere Flood Plague Famine Provinces Three Ways

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“Conquered states that have been accustomed to liberty and the government of their own laws can be held by the conqueror in three different ways. The first is to ruin them; the second, for the conqueror to go and reside there in person; and the third is to allow them to continue to live under their own laws, subject to a regular tribute, and to create in them a government of a few, who will keep the country friendly to the conqueror”

Way Firsts Persons Has Beens Different War Country States Government Law Three Liberty Subjects Thirds Ruins Different Ways Friendly Antiwar Accustomed Tribute Conqueror

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“Besides what has been said, people are fickle by nature; and it is a simple to convince them of something but difficult to hold them in that conviction; and, therefore, affairs should be managed in such a way that when they no longer believe, they can be made to believe by force.”

People Way Should Believe Has Beens Made Said Force Difficult Simple Affair Conviction Convince Fickle

Book:The Portable Machiavelli

Source: The Portable Machiavelli

“Occasionally words must serve to veil the facts. But let this happen in such a way that no one become aware of it; or, if it should be noticed, excuses must be at hand to be produced immediately.”

Ifs Way Should Facts Hands Happens Excuse Veils

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“They have not any difficulties on the way up because they fly, but they have many when they reach the summit.”

Way Achievement Difficulty Summit

Book:The Prince

Source: The Prince

“I hold it to be of great prudence for men to abstain from threats and insulting words towards any one, for neither the one nor the other in any way diminishes the strength of the enemy; but the one makes him more cautious, and the other increases his hatred of you, and makes him more persevering in his efforts to injure you”

Men Way Effort Enemy Military Hatred Increase Threat Diminish Prudence Cautious Insulting

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“Many have dreamed up republics and principalities that have never in truth been known to exist; the gulf between how one should live and how one does live is so wide that a man who neglects what is actually done for what should be done learns the way to self-destruction rather than self-preservation.”

Men Way Should Doe Self Done Known Truth Is Destruction Wide Neglect Republic Idealism Preservation Self Destruction Self Preservation

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

About the Author

Born: May 3, 1469
Died: June 21, 1527
Known for: Historian
Quotes: 390

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Books & Sources

The PrinceRelated source material

The Portable MachiavelliRelated source material

Machiavelli, More & LutherRelated source material

History of Florence and the Affairs of ItalyRelated source material

Discourses on LivyRelated source material

Machiavelli: The PrinceRelated source material

The Complete Art of WarRelated source material

Niccolò Machiavelli's The PrinceRelated source material

The Art of War and the PrinceRelated source material

The DiscoursesRelated source material

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