Quotes by Niccolò Machiavelli
Italian diplomat, philosopher, and historian who lived during the Renaissance, best known for his political treatise The Prince.
The illusion of control is often more valuable than control itself.
The path to power is paved with the bones of the naive and the good.
A prince must be both fox and lion: cunning to evade traps, and strong to deter wolves.
A prince must be both fox and lion: cunning enough to recognize traps, strong enough to frighten the wolves.
Never trust a man who claims to know all the answers; he is either a fool or a deceiver.
It is more dangerous to be feared by your friends than loved by your enemies.
A promise is a dangerous weapon in the hands of the powerful, and a useless shield in the hands of the weak.
Power is not held, it is earned. And once earned, it must be defended at all costs.
A prince must be a fox to recognize the traps, and a lion to frighten the wolves.
It is better to be feared and respected, but if you must choose, always choose feared.
The promise of reward is often a stronger chain than the threat of punishment.
The appearance of virtue is often more valuable than virtue itself.
The greatest deception is self-deception. Conquer yourself before you seek to conquer others.
The fox and the lion are needed; cunning to know the traps, strength to break them.
A prince should be slow to promise and quick to fulfill.
To be feared is safer than to be loved, for fear is a leash one holds, while love is a chain easily broken.
A prince should seem virtuous, but know how to act against virtue when necessary.
Do not mistake cleverness for wisdom. Cleverness sees the immediate advantage; wisdom sees the long consequence.
To be feared is more secure than to be loved, when love is a luxury, and fear, a necessity.
A well-laid trap is worth more than a thousand swords.
The successful leader understands that loyalty is earned, not demanded.
A prince must be both fox and lion; the fox to recognize traps, the lion to frighten wolves.
A prince must know how to use both the law and the sword; the one without the other is weakness.
To be feared is powerful, but to be understood is to truly rule.
The greatest skill is not in winning battles, but in preventing them from ever being fought.
The ends justify the means, but only if the ends are achieved.
The greatest weapon is a well-trained and loyal army.
Fortune favors the bold, but foresight secures the victory.
The best fortress is not stone, but the unwavering loyalty of those you lead.
Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer, for their weaknesses are your greatest advantage.
The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.
The world is a stage, and only the naive play their true selves.
The world is a stage, and all men merely players, adept at deception.
Mercy shown too freely becomes weakness exploited.
Never reveal your hand until the opportune moment. Patience is a weapon.
The best fortress is not stone, but the unwavering loyalty of your people.
A wise ruler anticipates problems, rather than reacting to them.
A state is preserved not only by arms, but by laws and the just application thereof.
The wise ruler builds walls not only around his city, but around his heart.
The wise ruler understands that generosity, when expected, becomes a burden.
The ends often justify the means, but never forget the cost.
To be feared is to be in control; to be loved is to be vulnerable. A wise ruler understands this distinction.
Showing 1 to 50 of 92 results