Art Of War Quotes - Page 16

• A prince being thus obliged to know well how to act as a beast must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from snares, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Wish

  "The Prince". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, ch. 17, 1513.

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• Nothing is harder to see into thanpeoples nature. The sage looks at subtle phenomena and listens tosmall voices. This harmonizes the outside with the inside and the inside with the outside.

  Zhuge Liang

  Art, War, Voice

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• Therefore, a prudent ruler ought not to keep faith when by so doing it would be against his interest, and when the reasons which made him bind himself no longer exist. If men were all good, this precept would not be a good one; but as they are bad, and would not observe their faith with you, so you are not bound to keep faith with them.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Men

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.56, Knickerbocker Classics

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• Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are, and those few dare not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Majesty

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2010). “The Prince”, p.73, FastPencil Inc

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• Among other evils which being unarmed brings you, it causes you to be despised.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  War, Gun, Evil

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2015). “The Prince”, p.66, Xist Publishing

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• A prince, therefore, must not mind incurring the charge of cruelty for the purpose of keeping his subjects united and confident; for, with a very few examples, he will be more merciful than those who, from excess of tenderness, allow disorders to arise, from whence spring murders and rapine; for these as a rule injure the whole community, while the executions carried out by the prince injure only one individual. And of all princes, it is impossible for a new prince to escape the name of cruel, new states being always full of dangers.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, Spring, War

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

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• The prince must consider, as has been in part said before, how to avoid those things which will make him hated or contemptible; and as often as he shall have succeeded he will have fulfilled his part, and he need not fear any danger in other reproaches.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Needs

  Niccolo Machiavelli (2015). “The Prince”, p.80, Xist Publishing

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• Sometimes it has been of great moment while the fight is going on, to disseminate words that pronounce the enemies' captain to be dead, or to have been conquered by another part of the army. Many times this has given victory to him who used it.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Fighting

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• It is much better to tempt fortune where it can favor you than to see your certain ruin by not tempting it.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Favors

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• Present wars impoverish the lords that win as much as those that lose.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Winning

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• It is a doctrine of war not to assume the enemy will not come, but rather to rely on one's readiness to meet him; not to presume that he will not attack, but rather to make one's self invincible.

  Sun Tzu

  Art, War, Self

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• 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.

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• The reply is, that one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be wanting. For it may be said of men in general that they are ungrateful, voluble, dissemblers, anxious to avoid danger, and covetous of gain; as long as you benefit them, they are entirely yours; they offer you their blood, their goods, their life, and their children, as I have before said, when the necessity is remote; but when it approaches, they revolt.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, Children, War

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

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• Kind-hearted people might of course think there was some ingenious way to disarm or defeat an enemy without too much bloodshed, and might imagine this is the true goal of the art of war. Pleasant as it sounds; it is a fallacy that must be exposed: War is such a dangerous business that the mistakes which come from kindness are the very worst.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Art, Kindness, War

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.75, Princeton University Press

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• In the first place, most princes apply themselves to the arts of war, in which I have neither ability nor interest, instead of to the good arts of peace. They are generally more set on acquiring new kingdoms by hook or by crook than on governing well those that they already have.

  Thomas More

  Art, War, Crooks

  1516 Utopia (English translation1556), bk.1.

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• Christopher Lynch has made the best and the first careful translation of Machiavelli's Art of War. With useful notes, an excellent introduction, an interpretive essay, glossary, and index, it is a treasure for readers of military history and Renaissance thought as well as for lovers of Machiavelli.

  Harvey Mansfield

  Art, Military, War

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• And the prince who has relied solely on their words, without making other preparations, is ruined, for the friendship which is gained by purchase and not through grandeur and nobility of spirit is merited but is not secured, and at times is not to be had.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Preparation

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

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• France, mother of arts, of warfare, and of laws (Les Regrets)

  Joachim du Bellay

  Mother, Art, Regret

  Les Regrets Sonnet 9 (1558)

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• Necessities can be many, but the one that is stronger is that which constrains you to win or to die.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Winning

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• And above all you ought to guard against leading an army to fight which is afraid or which is not confident of victory. For the greatest sign of an impending loss is when one does not believe one can win.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Believe

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• The forces of adversaries are more diminished by the loss of those who flee than of those who are killed.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Loss

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• You must never believe that the enemy does not know how to conduct his own affairs. Indeed, if you want to be deceived less and want to bear less danger, the more the enemy is weak or the less the enemy is cautious, so much more must you esteem him.

  Niccolo Machiavelli

  Art, War, Believe

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• I wrote in the War of Art that I could divide my life neatly into two parts: before turning pro and after. After is better.

  Steven Pressfield

  Art, War, Two

  Steven Pressfield (2012). “Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life's Work”, p.9, Black Irish Entertainment LLC

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