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Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes - Page 3

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Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.

Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Simple, Men, Political

The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Past, Keeping Promises, Broken
"At 500, Machiavelli's 'Prince' Still Inspires Love And Fear" by Sylvia Poggioli, www.npr.org. May 27, 2013.

One should never fall in the belief that you can find someone to pick you up.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Fall, Belief, Should

It should be borne in mind that there is nothing more difficult to arrange, more doubtful of success, and more dangerous to carry through than initiating changes. The innovator makes enemies of all those who prospered under the old order, and only lukewarm support is forthcoming from those who would prosper under the new. Their support is lukewarm ... partly because men are generally incredulous, never really trusting new things unless they have tested them by experience.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Change, Men, Order
"The Prince". Book by Niccolo Machiavelli, www.theguardian.com. 1532.

Men are of three different capacities: one understands intuitively; another understands so far as it is explained; and a third understands neither of himself nor by explanation. The first is excellent, the second, commendable, and the third, altogether useless.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Men, Useless, Firsts

I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Philosophical, Challenging The Status Quo, Want

Gold will not always get you good soldiers, but good soldiers can get you gold.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Political, Soldier, Gold

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

Niccolo Machiavelli
Hate, Philosophical, Evil
Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.61, Race Point Publishing

He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Crazy, War, Wish
Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.169, Race Point Publishing

How perilous it is to free a people who prefer slavery.

Niccolo Machiavelli
People, Slavery

No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Business, War, Philosophical
"The Art of War" by Niccolo Machiavelli, Book 7, as translated by Neal Wood (1965), 1520.

Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Motivational, Philosophical, Art Of War
Niccolo Machiavelli (2010). “The Prince”, p.106, FastPencil Inc

Impetuosity and audacity often achieve what ordinary means fail to achieve.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Mean, Ordinary, Audacity

For a long time I have not said what I believed, nor do I ever believe what I say, and if indeed sometimes I do happen to tell the truth, I hide it among so many lies that it is hard to find.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Lying, Believe, Long

Everyone who wants to know what will happen ought to examine what has happened: everything in this world in any epoch has their replicas in antiquity.

Niccolo Machiavelli
World, Want, Contemplation

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

Niccolo Machiavelli
Men, Way, Flattery
Niccolo Machiavelli (1979). “The Portable Machiavelli”, p.110, Penguin

He who has once begun to live by rapine always finds reasons for taking what is not his.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Reason, Live By
Niccolo Machiavelli, Sir Thomas More, Sir (2010). “Machiavelli, More & Luther”, p.58, Cosimo, Inc.

For this is the tragedy of man circumstances change, but he does not.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Men, Tragedy, Doe

It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Philosophical, Men, Honor

the wise man should always follow the roads that have been trodden by the great, and imitate those who have most excelled, so that if he cannot reach their perfection, he may at least acquire something of its savour.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Wise, Men, Perfection
Niccolo Machiavelli, Sir Thomas More, Sir (2010). “Machiavelli, More & Luther”, p.20, Cosimo, Inc.

By the delusions of seeming good the people are often misled to desire their own ruin; and they are frequently influenced by great hopes and brave promises.

Niccolo Machiavelli
People, Brave, Promise

We must bear in mind, then, that there is nothing more difficult and dangerous, or more doubtful of success, than an attempt to introduce a new order of things in any state. For the innovator has for enemies all those who derived advantages from the old order of things, whilst those who expect to be benefited by the new institutions will be but lukewarm defenders.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Order, Mind, Enemy

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.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Winning

There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Peace, Military, War
"The Prince". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, 1513.

A prince... must learn from the fox and the lion... One must be a fox in order to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten off wolves. Those who act simply as lions are stupid. So it follows that a prudent ruler cannot, and must not, honour his word when it places him at a disadvantage and when the reasons for which he made his promise no longer exist.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Stupid

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