Niccolò Machiavelli Quotes

• It never or rarely happens that a republic or monarchy is well constituted, or its old institutions entirely reformed, unless it is only done by one individual.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Uncategorized

• Men are driven by two two principal impulses, either by love or by fear.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Love

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

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Success

  Tags in People Change

• Never was anything great achieved without danger.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Success

  Tags in Achieved, Danger

• The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Politics

  Tags in Broken Promises

• The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Intelligence

  Tags in Around, Look, Philosophy
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  Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Willingness, Difficulties

• The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Prospers, Clash

• War is just when it is necessary; arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Permissible, Arm

• There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Intelligence

  Tags in Third, Appreciate

• A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Son, Despair

• Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Mankind, Men

• Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Fear

  Tags in Offending, Men

• There is no other way of guarding oneself against flattery than by letting men understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth; but when everyone can tell you the truth, you lose their respect.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Truth

  Tags in Flattery, Will, Men

• When you disarm your subjects 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.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Faith, Cowardice

• War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Study, Military

• Many have imagined republics and principalities which have never been seen or known to exist in reality; for how we live is so far removed from how we ought to live, that he who abandons what is done for what ought to be done, will rather bring about.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Imagination, Reality, Living

• In truth, there never was any remarkable lawgiver amongst any people who did not resort to divine authority, as otherwise his laws would not have been accepted by the people; for there are many good laws, the importance of which is known to be the sa.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Truth

  Tags in Authority, Law And Lawyers

• For as laws are necessary that good manners be preserved, so there is need of good manners that law may be maintained.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Law And Lawyers

• 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.

  Niccolò Machiavelli

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Law And Lawyers

Niccolò Machiavelli (74)

Birth:	3rd May, 1469
Death:	21st June, 1527
Nationality:	Italian
Profession:	Diplomat, Historian, Philosopher, Politician

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