Share
×
Inspirational Quotes
Authors
Professions
Topics
Tags
Quote
Wise men say, and not without reason, that whosoever wished to foresee the future might consult the past.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Share
Change background
T
T
T
Change font
Original
TAGS & TOPICS
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
Reason
Whosoever
Might
Consult
Without
Foresee
Men
Wished
Patriotism
Wise
Future
Past
More quotes by Niccolo Machiavelli
How perilous it is to free a people who prefer slavery.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Every little advantage is of great moment when men have to come to blows.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The forces of adversaries are more diminished by the loss of those who flee than of those who are killed.
Niccolo Machiavelli
All who contribute to the overthrow of religion, or to the ruin of kingdoms and commonwealths, all who are foes to letters and to the arts which confer honour and benefit on the human race (among whom I reckon the impious, the cruel, the ignorant, the indolent, the base and the worthless), are held in infamy and detestation.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Whoever is the cause of another becoming powerful, is ruined himself for that power is produced by him either through craft or force and both of these are suspected by the one who has been raised to power.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The peasant wants only to be left alone to prosper in peace.
Niccolo Machiavelli
If the course of human affairs be considered, it will be seen that many things arise against which heaven does not allow us to guard.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.
Niccolo Machiavelli
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
Whoever takes it upon himself to establish a commonwealth and prescribe laws must presuppose all men naturally bad, and that they will yield to their innate evil passions as often as they can do so with safety.
Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Sometimes it has been of great moment while the fight is going on, to disseminate words that pronounce the enemies' captain to be dead, or to have been conquered by another part of the army. Many times this has given victory to him who used it.
Niccolo Machiavelli
So in all human affairs one notices, if one examines them closely, that it is impossible to remove one inconvenience without another emerging.
Niccolo Machiavelli
A prince must not have any other object nor any other thought… but war, its institutions, and its discipline because that is the only art befitting one who commands.
Niccolo Machiavelli
For as good habits of the people require good laws to support them, so laws, to be observed, need good habits on the part of the people.
Niccolo Machiavelli
And when he is obliged to take the life of any one, to do so when there is a proper justification and manifest reason for it but above all he must abstain from taking the property of others, for men forget more easily the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony.
Niccolo Machiavelli
There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.
Niccolo Machiavelli
For the mob is always impressed by appearances and by results, and the world is composed of the mob.
Niccolo Machiavelli
There are three kinds of brains. The one understands things unassisted, the other understands things when shown by others, the third understands neither alone nor with the explanations of others.
Niccolo Machiavelli
