Never was anything great achieved without danger.
AUTHOR QUOTES
Quotes by Niccolo Machiavelli
Explore 25 verified and sourced quotes attributed to Niccolo Machiavelli. Open any quote for its dedicated page, source details and related topics.
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Selected quotes by Niccolo Machiavelli
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.
A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. 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.
Politics have no relation to morals.
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, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.
There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.
I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.
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. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.
There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred.
It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.
Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot.
Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.
The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.
Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
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