Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes - Page 4

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• 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

  43 Copy quote

• 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.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Children, Liars, Men

  "The Prince". Book by Niccolo Machiavelli, www.cnn.com. 1532.

  25 Copy quote

• 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

  18 Copy quote

• 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.

  35 Copy quote

• He who blinded by ambition, raises himself to a position whence he cannot mount higher, must thereafter fall with the greatest loss.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Fall, Ambition, Loss

  31 Copy quote

• He who desires or attempts to reform the government of a state and wishes to have it accepted, must at least retain the semblance of the old forms; so that it may seem to the people that there has been no change in the institutions, even though in fact they are entirely different from the old ones. For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Reality, Government, People

  22 Copy quote

• The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Grief, Men, Want

  13 Copy quote

• Few men are brave by nature, but good discipline and experience make many so.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Men

  "The Art of War". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, as translated by Neal Wood (1965), 1520.

  30 Copy quote

• To be feared is much safer then to be loved.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  14 Copy quote

• 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

  23 Copy quote

• It is better to be adventurous than cautious, because fortune is a woman.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Adventurous, Fortune, Cautious

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2010). “The Prince”, p.104, FastPencil Inc

  71 Copy quote

• Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Change, Success, Philosophical

  62 Copy quote

• Men never do good unless necessity drives them to it; but when they are free to choose and can do just as they please, confusion and disorder become rampant.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art Of War, Men, Confusion

  "Discourses on Livy" by Niccolò Machiavelli, book 1, ch. 3, as translated by LJ Walker and B Crick, 1517.

  13 Copy quote

• I hold strongly to this: that it is better to be impetuous than circumspect; because fortune is a woman and if she is to be submissive it is necessary to beat and coerce her.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Submissive, Beats, Fortune

  27 Copy quote

• There is nothing so difficult or so dangerous as to undertake to change the order of things.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Order, Dangerous, Difficult

  29 Copy quote

• Minds are of three kinds: one is capable of thinking for itself; another is able to understand the thinking of others; and a third can neither think for itself nor understand the thinking of others. The first is of the highest excellence, the second is excellent, and the third is worthless.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Thinking, Mind, Excellence

  11 Copy quote

• Whoever is the cause of another becoming powerful, is ruined himself.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Powerful, Causes, Becoming

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.12, Knickerbocker Classics

  18 Copy quote

• One must be a fox to recognize traps and a lion to frighten wolves

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Lions, Foxes, Traps

  42 Copy quote

• Appear as you may wish to be

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Wish, May

  27 Copy quote

• An armed republic submits less easily to the rule of one of its citizens than a republic armed by foreign forces. Rome and Sparta were for many centuries well armed and free. The Swiss are well armed and enjoy great freedom. Among other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible. It is not reasonable to suppose that one who is armed will obey willingly one who is unarmed; or that any unarmed man will remain safe among armed servants.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Men, Rome, Evil

  46 Copy quote

• When you disarm your subjects, however, you offend them by showing that either from cowardliness or lack of faith, you distrust them; and either conclusion will induce them to hate you.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Hate, Distrust, Conclusion

  24 Copy quote

• All the armed prophets conquered; all the unarmed ones perished.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Clarity, Prophet, Unarmed

  14 Copy quote

• It ought to be remembered that 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. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Believe, Art Of War, Men

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

  138 Copy quote

• It is often found that modesty and humility not only do no good, but are positively hurtful, when they are shown to the arrogant who have taken up a prejudice against you, either from envy or from any other cause.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Taken, Humility, Envy

  38 Copy quote

• It is a foolish prince who entrusts the safety of his lands to hired men.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Men, Land, Safety

  13 Copy quote

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