Quotes from Niccolo Machiavelli

It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.

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

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.

Never was anything great achieved without danger.

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

Results are often obtained by impetuosity and daring which could never have been obtained by ordinary methods.

It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.

The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.

He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.

Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.

Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds.

The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow.

We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.

Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.

For among other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible; which is one of those disgraceful things which a prince must guard against.

Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good.

Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.

We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed.

He who would foresee what is to happen should look to what has happened: for all that is has its counterpart in time past.

Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.

Politics have no relation to morals.

A multitude is strong while it holds together, but so soon as each of those who compose it begins ro think of his own private danger, it becomes weak and contemptible.

Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking.

Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses they will not save you if you are hated by the people.