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Men are more ready to offend one who desires to be beloved than one who wishes to be feared.
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
Ready
Wish
Desire
Men
Offend
Life
Feared
Wishes
Beloved
Desires
More quotes by Niccolo Machiavelli
Occasionally words must serve to veil the facts. But let this happen in such a way that no one become aware of it or, if it should be noticed, excuses must be at hand to be produced immediately.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Wise men say, and not without reason, that whosoever wished to foresee the future might consult the past.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Without doubt, ferocious and disordered men are much weaker than timid and ordered ones. For order chases fear from men and disorder lessens ferocity.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The forces of adversaries are more diminished by the loss of those who flee than of those who are killed.
Niccolo Machiavelli
God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Besides what has been said, people are fickle by nature and it is a simple to convince them of something but difficult to hold them in that conviction and, therefore, affairs should be managed in such a way that when they no longer believe, they can be made to believe by force.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Ability and perseverance are the weapons of weakness.
Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
Niccolo Machiavelli
He who builds on the people, builds on the mud
Niccolo Machiavelli
Rome remained free for four hundred years and Sparta eight hundred, although their citizens were armed all that time but many other states that have been disarmed have lost their liberties in less than forty years.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Thus it happens in matters of state for knowing afar off (which it is only given a prudent man to do) the evils that are brewing, they are easily cured. But when, for want of such knowledge, they are allowed to grow so that everyone can recognize them, there is no longer any remedy to be found.
Niccolo Machiavelli
He who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation.
Niccolo Machiavelli
A wise ruler should rely on what is under his own control, not on what is under the control of others.
Niccolo Machiavelli
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.
Niccolo Machiavelli
You have to be a prince to understand the people, and you have to belong to the people to understand the princes.
Niccolo Machiavelli
There is no avoiding war it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
Niccolo Machiavelli
I hold it to be of great prudence for men to abstain from threats and insulting words towards any one, for neither the one nor the other in any way diminishes the strength of the enemy but the one makes him more cautious, and the other increases his hatred of you, and makes him more persevering in his efforts to injure you
Niccolo Machiavelli
Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses they will not save you if you are hated by the people.
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
One arises from a low to a high station more often by using fraud instead of force.
Niccolo Machiavelli