You ought never to suffer your designs to be crossed in order to avoid war, since war is not so to be avoided, but is only deferred to your disadvantage.

Though fraud in all other actions be odious, yet in matters of war it is laudable and glorious, and he who overcomes his enemies by stratagem is as much to be praised as he who overcomes them by force.

And yet we cannot define as skillful killing one’s fellow citizens, betraying one’s friends, and showing no loyalty, mercy, or moral obligation. These means can lead to power, but not glory.

All the States and Governments by which men are or ever have been ruled, have been and are either Republics or Princedoms.

Occasionally words must serve to veil the facts. But let this happen in such a way that no one become aware of it; or, if it should be noticed, excuses must be at hand to be produced immediately.

But when you disarm them, you at once offend them by showing that you distrust them, either for cowardice or for want of loyalty, and either of these opinions breeds hatred against you.

He who causes another to become powerful ruins himself, for he brings such a power into being either by design or by force, and both of these elements are suspects to the one whom he has made powerful.

God creates men, but they choose each other.

Hence it comes that all armed prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed prophets have been destroyed.

A man who wishes to profess at all times will come to ruin among so many who are not good.

For whoever believes that great advancement and new benefits make men forget old injuries is mistaken.

He who is highly esteemed is not easily conspired against;

Men intrinsically do not trust new things that they have not experienced themselves.

Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries – for heavy ones they cannot.

One must be a fox in order to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten off wolves. Those who simply act like lions are stupid.

For, besides what has been said, it should be borne in mind that the temper of the multitude is fickle, and that while it is easy to persuade them of a thing, it is hard to fix them in that persuasion.

For, in truth, there is no sure way of holding other than by destroying

A prince is also esteemed when he is a true friend and a true enemy.

One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.

For he who innovates will have for his enemies all those who are well off under the existing order of things, and only lukewarm supporters in those who might be better off under the new.

Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions.

It’s better to be feared than loved if you cannot be both.

The best fortress which a prince can possess is the affection of his people.

The incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.

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.

The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuous in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.

Is it better to be loved or feared?

I hold strongly to this: that it is better to be impetuous than circumspect; because fortune is a woman and if she is to be submissive it is necessary to beat and coerce her.

Men sooner forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony.

Nature creates few men brave, industry and training makes many.

The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.

One should never fall in the belief that you can find someone to pick you up.

For one change always leaves a dovetail into which another will fit.

My view is that it is desirable to be both loved and feared; but it is difficult to achieve both and, if one of them has to be lacking, it is much safer to be feared than loved.

He who builds on the people, builds on the mud.

It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.

It is better to act and repent than not to act and regret.

A prince must not have any other object nor any other thought… but war, its institutions, and its discipline; because that is the only art befitting one who commands.

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.

Men never do good unless necessity drives them to it; but when they are free to choose and can do just as they please, confusion and disorder become rampant.

Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, for everyone can see and few can feel. Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.

In conclusion, the arms of others either fall from your back, or they weigh you down, or they bind you fast.

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.

Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves.

Wisdom consists of knowing how to distinguish the nature of trouble, and in choosing the lesser evil.

Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.

There is no avoiding war, it can only be postponed to the advantage of your enemy.

Half of these aren’t even Machiavelli. Some are Plato, Thucydides etc….doesnt anyone check these?

It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.

He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command

Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.

The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.

A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent, so that if he does not attain to their greatness, at any rate he will get some tinge of it.

There is nothing more important than appearing to be religious.

Appear as you may wish to be.

The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar.

Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.

Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.

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.

Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.

He who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.

Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.

How we live is so different from how we ought to live that he who studies what ought to be done rather than what is done will learn the way to his downfall rather than to his preservation.

It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles.

Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.

Men are driven by two principal impulses, either by love or by fear.

Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.

I’m not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.

The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.

Never was anything great achieved without danger.

If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.

Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.