Machiavelli Quotes

Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was an italian who is considered as founder of modern political science. Machiavelli was a multi talented person and was a Italian historian, political philosopher, humanist, playwright and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance. Machiavelli also wrote comedies, carnival songs and poetry. His personal correspondence is renowned in the Italian language. He is mostly known for his masterpiece book 'The Prince'.
~On a closer look Machiavelli philosophy is based on fear rather than on understanding. It seems according to Machiavelli attack is the best form of defence. But in present world scenario, Machiavelli philosophy might lead to more violence and destruction and the need of the hour is peace and understanding between nations.
Selected Quotes of Machiavelli are:

1. The ends justifies the means.
    
2. In judging policies we should consider the results that have been achieved through them rather than the means by which they have been executed.
    
3. History is written by the victors.
    
4. It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles.
    
5. Men are driven by two two principal impulses, either by love or by fear.
    
6. Men never do good unless necessity drives them to it; but when they are free to choose and can do just as they please, confusion and disorder become rampant.
    
7. The chief foundations of all states, new as well as old or composite, are good laws and good arms; and as there cannot be good laws where the state is not well armed, it follows that where they are well armed they have good laws.
    
8. Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
    
9. A man who is used to acting in one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no longer are in harmony with his ways.
    
10. Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.
     
11. Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see but few can test by feeling. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are; and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.
     
12. Appear as you may wish to be.
     
13. The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar.
     
14. God creates men, but they choose each other.
     
15. Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.
     
16. There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.
     
17. Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.
     
18. Never was anything great achieved without danger.
     
19. Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
     
20. All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it's impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
     
21. The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.
     
22. A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent, so that if he does not attain to their greatness, at any rate he will get some tinge of it.
     
23. There is nothing more important than appearing to be religious.
     
24. The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
     
25. If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
     
26. There is no avoiding war, it can only be postponed to the advantage of your enemy.
     
27. It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.
     
28. And it ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.
     
29. One can say this in general of men: they are ungrateful, disloyal, insincere and deceitful, timid of danger and avid of profit...Love is a bond of obligation that these miserable creatures break whenever it suits them to do so; but fear holds them fast by a dread of punishment that never passes.
     
30. 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.
     
31. There are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, and the third is useless.