"One should never permit a disorder to persist in order to avoid a war, for wars cannot be avoided and can only be deferred to the advantage of others."
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Quote collection
Niccolo Machiavelli quotes (page 9 of 20)
389 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Men generally decide upon a middle course, which is most hazardous, for they know neither how to be entirely good nor entirely bad."
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"With difficulty he is beaten who can estimate his own forces and those of his enemy."
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"Besides what has been said, people are fickle by nature; and it is a simple to convince them of something but difficult to hold them in that conviction; and, therefore, affairs should be managed in such a way that when they no longer believe, they can be made to believe by force."
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"The prince must consider, as has been in part said before, how to avoid those things which will make him hated or contemptible; and as often as he shall have succeeded he will have fulfilled his part, and he need not fear any danger in other reproaches."
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"He who has once begun to live by rapine always finds reasons for taking what is not his."
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"He who becomes a Prince through the favour of the people should always keep on good terms with them; which it is easy for him to do, since all they ask is not to be oppressed"
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"The reason is that nature has so created men that they are able to desire everything but are not able to attain everything: so that the desire being always greater than the acquisition, there results discontent with the possession and little satisfaction to themselves from it. From this arises the changes in their fortunes; for as men desire, some to have more, some in fear of losing their acquisition, there ensues enmity and war, from which results the ruin of that province and the elevation of another."
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"He who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation."
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"The world has always been the same; and there is always as much good fortune as bad in it."
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"There should be many judges, for few will always do the will of few."
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"Everyone who wants to know what will happen ought to examine what has happened: everything in this world in any epoch has their replicas in antiquity."
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"Fear is secured by a dread of punishment."
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"To be feared is much safer then to be loved."
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"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."
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"Anyone who becomes master of a city accustomed to freedom and does not destroy it may expect to be destroyed by it; for such a city may always justify rebellion in the name of liberty and its ancient institutions."
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"Those who either from imprudence or want of sagacity avoid doing so, are always overwhelmed with servitude and poverty; for faithful servants are always servants, and honest men are always poor; nor do any ever escape from servitude but the bold and faithless, or from poverty, but the rapacious and fraudulent."
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"Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear."
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"To ensure victory the troops must have confidence in themselves as well as in their commanders."
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"Republics have a longer life and enjoy better fortune than principalities, because they can profit by their greater internal diversity. They are the better able to meet emergencies."
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