"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."
"Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires."
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Source: Niccolo Machiavelli (2015). “The Prince”, p.21, Booklassic
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