"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."
"And above all you ought to guard against leading an army to fight which is afraid or which is not confident of victory. For the greatest sign of an impending loss is when one does not believe one can win."
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Source: Niccolo Machiavelli (1979). “The Portable Machiavelli”, p.274, Penguin
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