Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes About Prudence

Quotes about: Prudence

• 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.

• I hold it to be a proof of great prudence for men to abstain from threats and insulting words toward anyone, for neither diminishes the strength of the enemy.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Men, Insulting, Enemy

• 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.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Believe

  "The Prince". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, ch. 17, as translated by Luigi Ricci (1903), 1513.

• The Romans never allowed a trouble spot to remain simply to avoid going to war over it, because they knew that wars don't just go away, they are only postponed to someone else's advantage. Therefore, they made war with Philip and Antiochus in Greece, in order not to have to fight them in Italy... They never went by that saying which you constantly hear from the wiseacres of our day, that time heals all things. They trusted rather their own character and prudence- knowing perfectly well that time contains the seeds of all things, good as well as bad.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Character

  "The Prince". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, ch. 3, 1513.

• I consider it a mark of great prudence in a man to abstain from threats or any contemptuous expressions, for neither of these weaken the enemy, but threats make him more cautious, and the other excites his hatred, and a desire to revenge himself.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Revenge, Men, Expression

• I hold it to be of great prudence for men to abstain from threats and insulting words towards any one, for neither the one nor the other in any way diminishes the strength of the enemy; but the one makes him more cautious, and the other increases his hatred of you, and makes him more persevering in his efforts to injure you

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Military, Men, Effort

• Prudence therefore consists in knowing how to distinguish degrees of disadvantage.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Knowing, Degrees, Disadvantages

  Niccolo Machiavelli, Thomas Moore (2010). “Machiavelli, More & Luther”, p.78, Cosimo, Inc.

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