Quotes by Niccolo Machiavelli - AI Generated Quotes

Niccolo Machiavelli

No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

business

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

-Niccolo Machiavelli

change

Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

change

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

-Niccolo Machiavelli

faith

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

-Niccolo Machiavelli

fear

God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

god

There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

good

A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

good

Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

good

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

good

Never was anything great achieved without danger.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

great

Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

great

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

-Niccolo Machiavelli

great

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

-Niccolo Machiavelli

hope

There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

intelligence

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

intelligence

The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

life

A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

life

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

love

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

-Niccolo Machiavelli

love

Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

men

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

-Niccolo Machiavelli

men

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

men

A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

men

Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

men

Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

men

It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

men

Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

men

The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

men

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

men

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

men

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

nature

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

-Niccolo Machiavelli

nature

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

peace

Politics have no relation to morals.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

politics

Niccolo Machiavelli

No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.

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

Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.

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

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

God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.

There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.

A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.

Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.

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.

Never was anything great achieved without danger.

Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.

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

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

There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.

A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.

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.

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

Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.

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

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.

Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions.

Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot.

It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.

Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.

The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Politics have no relation to morals.

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

Other Authors to Explore

Bode Miller

Jimmy Webb

Esperanza Spalding

Chrissie Hynde

Sandra Day O'Connor

Barbra Streisand

Samuel Alito

Jason Aldean