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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

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Niccolo Machiavelli
Age: 58 †
Born: 1469
Born: May 3
Died: 1527
Died: June 22
Diplomat
Historian
Military Theorist
Philosopher
Playwright
Poet
Political Theorist
Politician
Translator
Writer
Florence
Tuscany
Nicolo Machiavelli
Niccolo Machiavelli
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli
Nicolò Machiavelli
N. Machiavelli
Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli
Machiavelli
Please
Free
Rampant
Become
Drives
Good
Disorder
Never
Necessity
Men
Confusion
Unless
Choose

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Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.
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We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean the rest have failed.
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If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
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it is much safer to be feared than loved because ...love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.
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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.
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Men nearly always follow the tracks made by others and proceed in their affairs by imitation, even though they cannot entirely keep to the tracks of others or emulate the prowess of their models. So a prudent man should always follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been outstanding.
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No one should therefore fear that he cannot accomplish what others have accomplished, for, men are born, live, and die in quite the same way they always have.
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Never was anything great achieved without danger.
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One must consider the final result
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Men walk almost always in the paths trodden by others, proceeding in their actions by imitation.
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Since the handling of arms is a beautiful spectacle, it is delightful to young men.
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The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
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Is it better to be loved or feared?
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How perilous it is to free a people who prefer slavery.
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Only those means of security are good, are certain, are lasting, that depend on yourself and your own vigor.
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Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good.
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For government consists in nothing else but so controlling subjects that they shall neither be able to, nor have cause to do [it] harm.
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Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see but few can test by feeling. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.
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It is better to be adventurous than cautious, because fortune is a woman.
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