Home / Quotes / Quote by Niccolo Machiavelli

Quote by Niccolo Machiavelli

“I say that every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel. He must, however, take care not to misuse this mercifulness.”

Quote by Niccolo Machiavelli

Book:The Prince

Work

The Prince is a seminal work in the field of political science, offering a pragmatic and often ruthless analysis of how to acquire and maintain political power. It explores the nature of leadership, the role of the state, and the use of political strategies to achieve and maintain power. Machiavelli's observations are based on his experience and study of the political landscape of his time, including the rise and fall of various Italian city-states. more

Author

Niccolo Machiavelli

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. more

You May Also Like

“A prince, therefore, must not mind incurring the charge of cruelty for the purpose of keeping his subjects united and confident; for, with a very few examples, he will be more merciful than those who, from excess of tenderness, allow disorders to arise, from whence spring murders and rapine; for these as a rule injure the whole community, while the executions carried out by the prince injure only one individual. And of all princes, it is impossible for a new prince to escape the name of cruel, new states being always full of dangers.”

“Nevertheless, he must be cautious in believing and acting, and must not inspire fear of his own accord, and must proceed in a temperate manner with prudence and humanity, so that too much confidence does not render him incautious, and too much diffidence does not render him intolerant. From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved more than feared, or feared more than loved.”

Believe Doe Art War Humanity Acting Too Much Inspire Arise Nevertheless Prudence Art Of War Accord Cautious Be Cautious Diffidence Too Much Confidence

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“The reply is, that one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be wanting. For it may be said of men in general that they are ungrateful, voluble, dissemblers, anxious to avoid danger, and covetous of gain; as long as you benefit them, they are entirely yours; they offer you their blood, their goods, their life, and their children, as I have before said, when the necessity is remote; but when it approaches, they revolt.”

Ifs Men May Children Long Art Said Two War Together Difficult Blood Danger Ought Offers Benefits Approach Gains Goods Anxious Art Of War Revolt Ungrateful

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“And the prince who has relied solely on their words, without making other preparations, is ruined, for the friendship which is gained by purchase and not through grandeur and nobility of spirit is merited but is not secured, and at times is not to be had.”

Art War Spirit Preparation Ruined Nobility Art Of War Grandeur Secured

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“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 he is obliged to take the life of any one, to do so when there is a proper justification and manifest reason for it; but above all he must abstain from taking the property of others, for men forget more easily the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony.”

Men Art War Reason Father Loss Forget Property Manifest Justification Obliged Art Of War Patrimony

Book:The Prince

Source: The Prince

“Then also pretexts for seizing property are never wanting, and one who begins to live by rapine will always find some reason for taking the goods of others, whereas causes for taking life are rarer and more quickly destroyed.”

Art War Reason Causes Property Destroyed Live By Goods Art Of War Pretext Seizing

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli

“How laudable it is for a prince to keep good faith and live with integrity, and not with astuteness, every one knows. Still the experience of our times shows those princes to have done great things who have had little regard for good faith, and have been able by astuteness to confuse men's brains, and who have ultimately overcome those who have made loyalty their foundation.”

Knows Men Littles Has Beens Art Made Stills War Done Shows Able Brain Integrity Overcoming Regard Foundation Loyalty Great Things Our Time Art Of War Good Faith

Book:The Prince

Source: The Prince

“You must know, then, that there are two methods of fighting, the one by law, the other by force: the first method is that of men, the second of beasts; but as the first method is often insufficient, one must have recourse to the second.”

Knows Men Firsts Art Two War Law Fighting Force Method Beast Art Of War Insufficient Recourse

Book:The Prince

Source: The Prince

“A prince being thus obliged to know well how to act as a beast must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from snares, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves.”

Knows Wells Art War Wish Protect Beast Lions Foxes Obliged Art Of War Recognise Snares

Author:Niccolo Machiavelli