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There are three kinds of brains: One understands of itself, another can be taught to understand, and the third can neither understand to itself or be taught to understand.

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
Three
Third
Another
Thirds
Kind
Kinds
Neither
Taught
Brain
Understanding
Understands
Understand
Brains

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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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When men receive favours from someone they expected to do them ill, they are under a greater obligation to their benefactor.
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There is simply no comparison between a man who is armed and one who is not. It is simply unreasonable to expect that an armed man should obey one who is unarmed, or that an unarmed man should remain safe and secure when his servants are armed.
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If the present be compared with the remote past, it is easily seen that in all cities and in all peoples there are the same desires and the same passions as there always were.
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Benefits should be conferred gradually and in that way they will taste better.
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War brings out thieves and peace hangs them.
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And if, to be sure, sometimes you need to conceal a fact with words, do it in such a way that it does not become known, or, if it does become known, that you have a ready and quick defense.
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Never do your enemy a minor injury.
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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.
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A wise ruler should rely on what is under his own control, not on what is under the control of others.
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The peasant wants only to be left alone to prosper in peace.
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Men are more apt to be mistaken in their generalizations than in their particular observations.
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Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
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When they remain in garrison, soldiers are maintained with fear and punishment when they are then led to war, with hope and reward.
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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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People should either be caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage they will get their revenge but if you cripple them there is nothing they can do. If you need to injure someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.
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Although deceit is detestable in all other things, yet in the conduct of war it is laudable and honorable and a commander who vanquishes an enemy by stratagem is equally praised with one who gains victory by force.
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To know in war how to recognize an opportunity and seize it is better than anything else.
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Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves
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A prince is also respected when he is a true friend and a true enemy that is, when he declares himself on the side of one prince against another without any reservation.
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