Quotes from Niccolo Machiavelli

The distinction between children and adults, while probably useful for some purposes, is at bottom a specious one, I feel. There are only individual egos, crazy for love.

A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.

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

For a long time I have not said what I believed, nor do I ever believe what I say, and if indeed sometimes I do happen to tell the truth, I hide it among so many lies that it is hard to find.

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

The wish to acquire is in truth very natural and common, and men always do so when they can.but when they cannot do so, yet wish to do so by any means, then there is folly and blame.

Men are so simple and yield so readily to the desires of the moment that he who will trick will always find another who will suffer to be tricked.

Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot.

Men in general are as much affected by what a thing appears to be as by what it is, indeed they are frequently influenced more by appearances than by reality.

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.

...it behooves us to adapt oneself to the times if one wants to enjoy continued good fortune.

The peasant wants only to be left alone to prosper in peace.

Benefits should be granted little by little, so that they may be better enjoyed.

Decide which is the line of conduct that presents the fewest drawbacks and then follow it out as being the best one, because one never finds anything perfectly pure and unmixed, or exempt from danger.

Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.

Men hesitate less to injure a man who makes himself loved than to injure one who makes himself feared, for their love is held by a chain of obligation which, because of men's wickedness, is broken on every occasion for the sake of selfish profit; but their fear is secured by a dread of punishment.

A battle that you win cancels all your mistakes.

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

A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.

Knowing how to fight made men more bold, because no one fears doing what it seems to him he has learned to do. Therefore, the ancients wanted their citizens to be trained in every warlike action.

Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them.

There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.

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.

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