Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes

Quotes about:

• Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Inspirational, Relationship, Marketing

  385 Copy quote

• it is better to act and repent than not to act and regret.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Regret, Repent

  245 Copy quote

• Politics have no relation to morals.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Political, Nerd, Politics

  225 Copy quote

• The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Work, Philosophical, Men

  "The Prince". Book by Niccolo Machiavelli, Ch. 22, 1513.

  427 Copy quote

• 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.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Revenge, Badass, Bad Ass

  25 Copy quote

• A government which does not trust its citizens to be armed is not itself to be trusted.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Government, Doe, Citizens

  363 Copy quote

• A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one's own ignorance.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Ignorance, Intelligence, Awareness

  306 Copy quote

• Always assume incompetence before looking for conspiracy.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Assuming, Conspiracy, Incompetence

  133 Copy quote

• The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Lions, Foxes, Traps

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.55, Knickerbocker Classics

  409 Copy quote

• Power is the pivot on which everything hinges. He who has the power is always right; the weaker is always wrong.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Always Wrong, Hinges

  268 Copy quote

• Women are the most charitable creatures, and the most troublesome. He who shuns women passes up the trouble, but also the benefits. He who puts up with them gains the benefits, but also the trouble. As the saying goes, there's no honey without bees.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Benefits, Honey, Gains

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2009). “The Essential Writings of Machiavelli”, p.456, Modern Library

  394 Copy quote

• The ends justifies the means.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Mean, Ends, Ends Justify The Means

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2003). “Discourses on Livy”, p.444, OUP Oxford

  125 Copy quote

• All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it's impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Mistake, Ambition, Greatness

  "The Prince". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, chapter III: Of Mixed Princedoms, 1513.

  66 Copy quote

• Before all else, be armed.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Peace, War, Philosophical

  49 Copy quote

• If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Revenge, Men, Needs

  111 Copy quote

• Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  War, Ends, Please

  "Florentine Histories" by Niccolò Machiavelli, 1526.

  71 Copy quote

• You know better than I that in a Republic talent is always suspect. A man attains an elevated position only when his mediocrity prevents him from being a threat to others. And for this reason a democracy is never governed by the most competent, but rather by those whose insignificance will not jeopardize anyone else's self-esteem.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Self Esteem, Men, Democracy

  251 Copy quote

• Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Inspirational, Motivational, Passion

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.222, Race Point Publishing

  144 Copy quote

• There is nothing more important than appearing to be religious.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Religious, Important, Appearing

  "Machiavelli's The Prince, part 6: was Machiavelli an atheist?" by Nick Spencer, www.theguardian.com. April 30, 2012.

  110 Copy quote

• Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not to suffer.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Mistake, Ambition, Sloth

  "The Prince". Book by Niccolo Machiavelli, chapter III: Of Mixed Princedoms, 1513.

  110 Copy quote

• It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Philosophical, Deceit, Literature

  86 Copy quote

• A wise ruler should rely on what is under his own control, not on what is under the control of others.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Wise, Should, Rely

  Niccolo Machiavelli, Quentin Skinner, Russell Price (1988). “Machiavelli: The Prince”, p.61, Cambridge University Press

  24 Copy quote

• There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Country, Philosophical, Religion

  38 Copy quote

• The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Wise, Wisdom, Opportunity

  151 Copy quote

• The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Life, Positive, Birthday

  180 Copy quote

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