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Those who either from imprudence or want of sagacity avoid doing so, are always overwhelmed with servitude and poverty for faithful servants are always servants, and honest men are always poor nor do any ever escape from servitude but the bold and faithless, or from poverty, but the rapacious and fraudulent.

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
Either
Overwhelmed
Poor
Bold
Imprudence
War
Servant
Rapacious
Art
Faithful
Fraudulent
Ever
Escape
Sagacity
Always
Avoid
Faithless
Men
Poverty
Servitude
Honest
Servants

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Benefits should be conferred gradually and in that way they will taste better.
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Appear as you may wish to be
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The reformer has enemies in all who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order.
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He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
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Men are of three different capacities: one understands intuitively another understands so far as it is explained and a third understands neither of himself nor by explanation. The first is excellent, the second, commendable, and the third, altogether useless.
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The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.
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Men are so stupid and concerned with their present needs, they will always let themselves be deceived.
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Human beings remain constant in their methods of conduct.
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For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are.
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For as laws are necessary that good manners be preserved, so there is need of good manners that law may be maintained.
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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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A son could bear with great complacency, the death of his father, while the loss of his inheritance might drive him to despair.
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It has always been the opinion and judgment of wise men that nothing can be so uncertain as fame or power not founded on its own strength.
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Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results.
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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.
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Forgiveness proceeds from a generous soul.
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I believe that it is possible for one to praise, without concern, any man after he is dead since every reason and supervision for adulation is lacking.
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States that rise quickly, just as all the other things of nature that are born and grow rapidly, cannot have roots and ramifications the first bad weather kills them
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It is a common failing of man not to take account of tempests during fair weather.
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