"In war, discipline can do more than fury."
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Niccolo Machiavelli quotes (page 10 of 20)
389 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses they will not save you if you are hated by the people."
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"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."
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"God and nature have thrown all human fortunes into the midst of mankind; and they are thus attainable rather by rapine than by industry, by wicked actions rather than by good. Hence it is that men feed upon each other, and those who cannot defend themselves must be worried."
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"The forces of adversaries are more diminished by the loss of those who flee than of those who are killed."
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"He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building."
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"Never lead your soldiers to battle if you have not first confirmed their spirit and known them to be without fear and ordered; and never test them except when you see that they hope to win."
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"From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both: but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved."
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"A prince ought to have two fears, one from within, on account of his subjects, the other from without, on account of external powers."
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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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"When evening comes, I return home and go into my study. On the threshold I strip off my muddy, sweaty clothes of everyday, and put on the robes of court and palace, and in this graver dress I enter the antique courts of the ancients and am welcomed by them, and there I taste the food that alone is mine, and for which I was born. And there I make bold to speak to them and ask the motives of their actions, and they, in their humanity, reply to me. And for the space of four hours I forget the world, remember no vexation, fear poverty no more, tremble no more at death; I pass indeed into their world."
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"It has always been the opinion and judgment of wise men that nothing can be so uncertain as fame or power not founded on its own strength."
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"It is a foolish prince who entrusts the safety of his lands to hired men."
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"Change has no constituency."
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"Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful."
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"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."
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"The best fortress which a prince can possess is the affection of his people."
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"It makes him contemptible to be considered fickle, frivolous, effeminate, mean-spirited, irresolute, from all of which a prince should guard himself as from a rock; and he should endeavour to show in his actions greatness, courage, gravity, and fortitude; and in his private dealings with his subjects let him show that his judgments are irrevocable, and maintain himself in such reputation that no one can hope either to deceive him or to get round 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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"Speaking generally, men are ungrateful, fickle, hypocritical, fearful odanger and covetous ogain."
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