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With difficulty he is beaten who can estimate his own forces and those of his enemy.

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
Estimate
Beaten
Forces
Difficulty
Enemy
Force

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Since the handling of arms is a beautiful spectacle, it is delightful to young men.
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as the physicians say it happens in hectic fever, that in the beginning of the malady it is easy to cure but difficult to detect, but in the course of time, not having been either detected or treated in the beginning, it becomes easy to detect but difficult to cure
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To know well the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to know well the nature of princes one must be of the people.
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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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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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The best fortress which a prince can possess is the affection of his people.
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Wise men say, and not without reason, that whosoever wished to foresee the future might consult the past.
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For the mob is always impressed by appearances and by results, and the world is composed of the mob.
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War brings out thieves and peace hangs them.
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I'm not interested in preserving the status quo I want to overthrow it.
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Benefits should be conferred gradually and in that way they will taste better.
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Ability and perseverance are the weapons of weakness.
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It makes him hated above all things, as I have said, to be rapacious, and to be a violator of the property and women of his subjects, from both of which he must abstain.
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When settling disputes between his subjects, he should ensure that his judgement is irrevocable and he should be so regarded that no one ever dreams of trying to deceive or trick him.
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The distinction between children and adults, while probably useful for some purposes, is at bottom a specious one, I feel. There are only individual egos, crazy for love.
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You must know, then, that there are two methods of fighting, the one by law, the other by force: the first method is that of men, the second of beasts but as the first method is often insufficient, one must have recourse to the second.
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Men are less hesitant about harming someone who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared because love is held together by a chain of obligation which, since men are wretched creatures, is broken on every occasion in which their own interests are concerned but fear is sustained by dread of punishment which will never abandon you.
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It is the duty of a man of honor to teach others the good which he has not been able to do himself because of the malignity of the times, that this good finally can be done by another more loved in heaven.
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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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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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