Niccolo Machiavelli quotes

“There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“Men are so simple and yield so readily to the desires of the moment that he who will trick will always find another who will suffer to be tricked.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“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.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“For among other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible; which is one of those disgraceful things which a prince must guard against.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“To understand the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to understand the nature of the prince, one must be of the people.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.”

— 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

“War is just when it is necessary; arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“Severities should be dealt out all at once, so that their suddenness may give less offense; benefits ought to be handed ought drop by drop, so that they may be relished the more.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

“Tardiness often robs us opportunity, and the dispatch of our forces.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli