"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."
"I consider it a mark of great prudence in a man to abstain from threats or any contemptuous expressions, for neither of these weaken the enemy, but threats make him more cautious, and the other excites his hatred, and a desire to revenge himself."
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Source: Niccolo Machiavelli (2015). “The Prince”, p.66, Xist Publishing
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