“Man has no greater enemy than himself. I have acted contrary to my sentiments and inclination; throughout our whole lives we do what we never intended, and what we proposed to do, we leave undone.” MenWholeEnemyGreaterContraryWhole LifeSentimentsInclinationUndone Author:Petrarch
“If the press really thinks Obama is Lincoln, they ought to treat him like they treated Bush, 'cause that's how they treated Lincoln. His critics compared Lincoln to an ape; they called him an illiterate baboon.” IfsThinkingCausesOughtTreatsPressesCriticsTreatedApesIlliterateBaboons Author:Ann Coulter
“Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless.” FirstsThreeClassAppreciateThirdsIntellectUselessExcellent Book:The Prince Source: The Prince
“And what physicians say about disease is applicable here: that at the beginning a disease is easy to cure but difficult to diagnose; but as time passes, not having been recognized or treated at the outset, it becomes easy to diagnose but difficult to cure. The same thing occurs in affairs of state; for by recognizing from afar the diseases that are spreading in the state (which is a gift given only to the prudent ruler), they can be cured quickly; but when, not having been recognized, they are not recognized and are left to grow to the extent that everyone recognizes them, there is no longer any cure.” StatesLeftGivenGrowsEasyDifficultDiseaseAffairTreatedCuresRulersPhysiciansRecognizingPrudentTime PassesAfar Author:Niccolo Machiavelli
“Well used are those cruelties (if it is permitted to speak well of evil) that are carried out in a single stroke, done out of necessity to protect oneself, and are not continued but are instead converted into the greatest possible benefits for the subjects. Badly used are those cruelties which. although being few at the outset, grow with the passing time instead of disappearing. Those who follow the first method can remedy their condition with God and with men; the others cannot possibly survive.” IfsMenFirstsWellsDoneUsedEvilSpeakGrowsConditionsSubjectsProtectBenefitsMethodOneselfDisappearPassingPassingsCrueltyRemedyStrokes Book:The Portable Machiavelli Source: The Portable 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.” PeopleWayShouldBelieveHas BeensMadeSaidForceDifficultSimpleAffairConvictionConvinceFickle Book:The Portable Machiavelli Source: The Portable Machiavelli
“Therefore, in order not to have to rob his subjects, to be able to defend himself, not to become poor and contemptible, and not to be forced to become rapacious, a prince must consider it of little importance if he incurs the name of miser, for this is one of the vices that permits him to rule.” IfsLittlesAbleOrderPoorSubjectsImportanceVicesReputationPermitMisers Author:Niccolo Machiavelli
“One can make this generalization about men: they are ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceivers, they shun danger and are greedy for profit; while you treat them well, they are yours. They would shed their blood for you, risk their property, their lives, their children, so long, as I said above, as danger is remote; but when you are in danger they turn against you.” MenWellsChildrenLongSaidTurnsRiskBloodDangerTreatsPropertyProfitLiarsShedGreedyUngratefulFickleGeneralizationDeceiver Author:Niccolo Machiavelli
“Men are less hesitant about harming someone who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared because love is held together by a chain of obligation which, since men are wretched creatures, is broken on every occasion in which their own interests are concerned; but fear is sustained by dread of punishment which will never abandon you.” MenTogetherInterestLove IsBrokenSelf LoveCreaturesConcernedPunishmentObligationChainsOccasionsAbandonDreadWretchedHesitantEvery Occasion Author:Niccolo Machiavelli
