20 quotes from “The Prince” by Niccolò Machiavelli

Phrases by Niccolò Machiavelli

The collection includes statements, quotes and phrases from Niccolo Machiavelli:

I want to go to hell, not heaven. There I can enjoy the company of popes, kings and dukes, while heaven is inhabited only by beggars, monks and apostles.

...people are always bad until they are forced to goodness by necessity.

To know what is going to happen, it is enough to trace what happened... This comes from the fact that all human affairs are done by people who have had and always will have the same passions and therefore will inevitably have to give the same results.

...people are no less attached to those to whom they have done good than to those who have done good to them.

Look your fate in the face, avoid evil, but if you cannot avoid it, bear the retribution awaiting you like a man, don’t lose heart, don’t relax like a woman.

Quote from Niccolo Machiavelli: But you need to know that there is no business whose organization would be more difficult, its management more dangerous, and its success more doubtful than the replacement of old orders with new ones.

The most important thing for the sovereign is to behave with his subjects in such a way that no event, neither bad nor good, forces him to change his treatment of them, since, if difficult times happen, it is too late to do evil, and good is useless, because it will be considered forced and they will not repay him with gratitude.

In reality, there is no way to securely take possession of a city except by subjecting it to destruction.

The distance between how people live and how they should live is so great that the one who rejects the real for the sake of what should be acts more to his own detriment than to his good, since, wanting to profess goodness in all cases of life, he will inevitably perish. encountering many people who are alien to goodness.

Phrase by Niccolo Machiavelli: War is a good thing if its armor shines with hope.

Truly, the passion for conquest is natural and common.

Wars start when you start them, but they don't stop when you want them to (option: Wars start at your will, but don't stop at your will).

However, in reality, those who relied less on the mercy of fate remained in power longer.

Woe to the one who increases the power of others, for it is obtained by skill or strength, and both of these virtues do not inspire confidence in the one who receives the power.

The intelligence of a ruler is first judged by what kind of people he brings close to him; if these are loyal and capable people, then you can always be confident in his wisdom, for he knew how to recognize their abilities and retain their devotion. If they are not like that, then they will conclude about the sovereign accordingly, because he has already committed the first mistake by choosing bad assistants.

The sovereign should have no other thoughts, no other concerns, no other business than war, military regulations and military science, for war is the only duty that a ruler cannot assign to another.

Not gold, as popular opinion proclaims, but good soldiers are the spring of war, for for gold you will not always find good soldiers, but good soldiers will always get gold.

The sovereign, if he wants to maintain power, must acquire the ability to deviate from goodness and use this skill according to need.

A people accustomed to living under the rule of a sovereign and, thanks to chance, becoming free, finds it difficult to maintain freedom.

Sovereigns must entrust tasks that are displeasing to their subjects to others, and those that are pleasing must be carried out themselves.

A dispute may arise about what is better: for the sovereign to be loved or to be feared. They say that it is best when they are afraid and loved at the same time; however, love does not get along well with fear, so if you have to choose, it is safer to choose fear.

Friendship, which is given for money, and not acquired by the greatness and nobility of the soul, can be bought, but cannot be kept in order to use it in difficult times.

People are always bad until necessity forces them to do good.

And yet, in order not to lose free will, I will assume that perhaps fate controls only half of all our affairs, while the other half, or so, is left to the people themselves.

They love sovereigns at their own discretion, and fear them at the discretion of sovereigns, so it is better for a wise ruler to count on what depends on him and not on someone else.

For there are three kinds of minds: one comprehends everything by itself; another can understand what the first has comprehended; the third - he himself does not comprehend anything and cannot understand what others have comprehended. The first mind is outstanding, the second is significant, the third is worthless.

Those who relied less on the mercy of fate remained in power longer.

Arms should be the last resort when other means fail (incorrectly attributed; this quote is actually from Titus Livy)

Everyone sees what you appear to be, but few feel what you are.

By what means can I shame people who were born and raised without a concept of honor? Why should they respect me when they don't know me? Which gods and saints will I make them swear by - those they honor, or those they blaspheme? I don’t know who they honor, but they blaspheme everyone. Is it even possible to trust oaths made before the creature they mock? How can they, while mocking God, respect people?

Of all the animals, let the sovereign be like two: the lion and the fox. A lion is afraid of traps, and a fox is afraid of wolves, therefore, one must be like a fox in order to be able to bypass traps, and a lion in order to scare away wolves.

It is better to lose with your own people than to win with others, because the victory achieved by someone else’s weapons is not true (we are talking about the advisability of using allied or mercenary troops).

And yet I believe that onslaught is better than caution, for fortune is a woman, and whoever wants to deal with her must beat and kick her - she succumbs to such people more quickly than to those who coldly get down to business. Therefore, she, like a woman, is a friend of the young, for they are not so careful, they are more courageous and they tame her with greater audacity.

People should either be caressed or destroyed, because a person can take revenge for a small evil, but cannot take revenge for a large one; from which it follows that the insult inflicted on a person must be calculated so as not to be afraid of revenge.

The same thing happens here as with consumption: doctors say that at the beginning this disease is difficult to recognize, but easy to cure; if it is neglected, then it is easy to recognize, but difficult to cure. It is the same in the affairs of the state: if an emerging illness is detected in a timely manner, which is given only to wise rulers, then it is not difficult to get rid of it, but if it is neglected so that everyone can see it, then no medicine will help.

People do not know how to be either worthily criminal or completely good: villainy has a certain greatness or is to some extent a manifestation of the breadth of soul to which they are not able to rise.

A reprehensible mistake is made by those who do not take into account their capabilities and strive for conquest at any cost.

You need to know that you can fight the enemy in two ways: firstly, by laws, and secondly, by force. The first method is inherent in man, the second in the beast; but since the first is often not enough, one has to resort to the second.

A sovereign whose city is well fortified and whose people are not embittered cannot be attacked. (Machiavelli quotes and sayings)

Don’t believe it when some actor shouts that life is a joy to him, they say. It’s more pleasant than living among people, cracking slop with pigs in a barn.

The sovereign, if he wants to keep his subjects in obedience, should not reckon with accusations of cruelty.

You can't trust what you see in quiet times.

The sovereign must always consult with others, but only when he wishes it, and not when others wish it; and he must discourage anyone who decides, unsolicited, to give him advice.

Insults must be inflicted at once: the less they are tried, the less harm they cause; It is useful to provide good deeds little by little, so that they are tasted as best as possible.

War cannot be avoided, it can only be postponed - to the benefit of your enemy.

Knowledge of the future through the past is also facilitated by the fact that individual peoples, as can be seen, will retain the same morals for a long time.

War is sweet to those who have not experienced it.

Since, by virtue of his nature, a person can neither have only virtues nor strictly follow them, then a prudent sovereign should avoid those vices that can deprive him of his state, and abstain from the rest to the best of his ability, but no more.

In a mercenary army, negligence is more dangerous, in an allied army - valor.

By wasting someone else's, you add to your glory, while by wasting what is yours, you only harm yourself.

God does not do everything himself, so as not to deprive us of free will and part of the glory due to us.

Hide what you say yourself, find out what others say and you will become a true prince.

...people would rather forgive the death of a father than the loss of property.

That war is just, which is necessary, and that weapon is sacred, for which there is only hope.

...people are such that, seeing good on the part of those from whom they expected evil, they become especially attached to benefactors.

I would liken fate to a stormy river, which, raging, floods the banks, knocks down trees, destroys homes, washes away and washes away the earth: everyone runs away from it, everyone retreats before its pressure, powerless to restrain it. But even so, does this prevent people from taking precautionary measures in quiet times, that is, erecting barriers and dams so that, having overflowed its banks, the river either rushes into the canals or stops its uncontrolled and dangerous flow?

...you can incur hatred through good deeds just as much as through bad deeds.

Topics of the issue: aphorisms, sayings, phrases and quotes from Niccolo Machiavelli. Italian thinker, philosopher, writer, politician.

Best quotes by Niccolò Machiavelli (200 quotes)

One can write and talk endlessly about the merits of Niccolo Machiavelli to his native Italy and history in general. On Machiavelli’s tombstone it is written: “No epitaph can express the greatness of this name.” Niccolo Machiavelli is called the first political scientist of modern times. Machiavelli's main work, “The Prince,” is widely and scandalously known. One of the Soviet dictionaries of foreign words interprets “Machiavellianism” as a policy based on the cult of brute force, on disregard for moral standards, as deceit, treachery, duplicity and hypocrisy. However, as not only Professor Höges believes, there is no doubt about the high morality, honesty, and personal nobility of Machiavelli. He was a very intelligent man with numerous talents, a politician, diplomat, philosopher, historian, poet, playwright, theater director and composer. This collection presents the best quotes from Niccolo Machiavelli.

A mercenary army is dangerous due to its negligence, while an allied army is dangerous due to its valor and courage.

The winner has many friends, and only the loser has real friends.

After death I want to go to hell, not heaven. There I can enjoy the company of popes, kings and dukes, while heaven is inhabited only by beggars, monks and apostles.

The villainous form is veiled by greatness and spiritual breadth, the ability of which the opponents of good unfortunately lack.

Hide what you say, find out what others say, and you will become a true prince.

Wars start when they want, but end when they can.

In order to cause less harm, grievances are inflicted a lot and often. Beneficence becomes effective over long years if it is extended in time and space. Niccolo Machiavelli

Everyone sees what you appear to be, few feel what you are.

Whoever wants to live in peace must prepare for war.

In order to maintain autocracy, the sovereign cannot constantly do good; he has to bare his teeth, using the whip as needed.

It's better to be bold than cautious, because destiny is a woman.

He who has a good army will find good allies.

Woe will be the one who increases the influence of others, which is achieved by force and money. Therefore, stupid service to an idol leads to betrayal, mistrust and execution.

No matter what business we undertake, the timing always seems inappropriate, and the circumstances are never absolutely favorable. Those who wait for the perfect opportunity will never start a business, and even if they do, they often face a sad end.

You cannot condone disorder in order to avoid war, because you cannot avoid war, but you will lose your advantage in it.

Machiavelli: It is not gold that is the spring of war, but the valiant warriors of fortune. For metal will not buy you love to death and the devotion of soldiers, but brave and skillful warriors will always get gold for themselves.

Let fate trample me - I’ll see if she doesn’t feel ashamed.

Weapons should be resorted to last, when other means prove insufficient.

The true creators of the universal laws, royal and republican, are obliged to eliminate all hope of impunity and firmly restrain human self-interest within certain limits.

The frequency of revelation does not erase the truth: “Happiness is when you are understood.”

The enemy can be fought in two ways: firstly, by laws, and secondly, by force. The first method is inherent in man, the second - in beasts.

Those who thought with their heads and acted with their hands, without relying on luck, ruled the country longer.

Wars start when they want, but end when they can.

The worst thing in life is not worries, not illness, not poverty, not grief - but boredom.

Until necessity forces people to do good, they are always bad.

People know how to be neither completely bad nor completely good.

Ordinary people cannot stand freedom, fear it more than death, and, having committed a crime, fall under the burden of repentance. Only the hero, the chosen one of fate, has the strength to endure freedom - he transgresses the law without fear, without remorse, remaining innocent of evil, like animals and gods.

People are always bad until necessity forces them to do good.

Wars start when they want, but end when they can.

Sovereigns must entrust tasks that are displeasing to their subjects to others, and those that are pleasing must be carried out themselves.

Everyone sees what you appear to be, but few feel what you are.

People know how to be neither completely bad nor completely good.

The intelligence of a ruler is first judged by the kind of people he brings close to him.

Love and fear can never get along.

To find out what is going to happen, it is enough to trace what happened. This comes from the fact that all human affairs are done by men who have had and always will have the same passions and therefore must inevitably produce the same results.

Every change paves the way for other changes.

A reprehensible mistake is made by those who do not take into account their capabilities and strive for conquest at any cost.

End justifies the means.

There are three kinds of minds: one comprehends everything by itself; another can understand what the first has comprehended; the third - he himself does not comprehend anything and cannot understand what others have comprehended.

The sovereign should have no other thoughts, no other concerns, no other business than war, military regulations and military science, for war is the only duty that a ruler cannot assign to another.

He who is a good friend himself has good friends.

People, believing that the new ruler will be better, willingly rebel against the old one, but soon they are convinced by experience that they were deceived, for the new ruler always turns out to be worse than the old one.

A person who wants to remain virtuous in all circumstances can only perish among the multitude of those who are not virtuous.

People generally judge more by appearance than by content. Everyone has eyes, but only a few have the gift of insight.

The power that relies on a mercenary army will never be strong or durable.

Do not make modest plans - they are not able to excite the soul.

People are the enemies of any difficult enterprises.

The ambitious aspirations of people know no end: first they strive to ensure that they themselves are not offended, then they themselves begin to offend others.

People are less afraid of offending someone who inspires them with love than someone who inspires them with fear.

The sovereign must always consult with others, but only when he wishes it, and not when others wish it; and he must discourage anyone who decides, unsolicited, to give him advice.

You should not give advice to anyone or use the advice of others, except for the general advice - the rule for everyone is to follow the dictates of the soul and act boldly.

As soon as people stop fighting, forced to fight by necessity, they immediately begin to fight, driven to it by ambition.

And yet, in order not to lose free will, I will assume that perhaps fate controls only half of all our affairs, while the other half, or so, is left to the people themselves.

There is no business that is more difficult to organize, more dangerous to conduct, and more doubtful of success than replacing old orders with new ones.

People take revenge only for small and medium-sized insults, while great ones take away their strength for revenge.

War is not a bad thing if there are glimmers of hope on the armor.

The good stuff gets boring.

People do not know how to be either decently criminal or completely good; villainy has a certain grandeur or is in some measure a manifestation of the breadth of soul to which they are not able to rise.

Language and speech help people hide their thoughts.

It is better to lose with your own people than to win with others.

People by their nature are such that they are no less attached to those to whom they have done good than to those who have done good to them.

The best fortress is the one built on the love of the people.

Most people are happy with life as long as their honor and property are not harmed.

A reprehensible mistake is made by those who do not take into account their capabilities and strive for conquest at any cost.

People are so simple-minded and so absorbed in immediate needs that a deceiver will always find someone who will allow himself to be fooled.

The masses are wiser and more constant than the sovereign.

General adversities are endured with more patience than individual ones.

Since people believed that for the sake of bliss in heaven they must endure all untruths on earth, a great and safe field has opened up for scoundrels.

He who has a good army will find good allies.

People are evil and give free rein to the bad qualities of their souls whenever they have an easy opportunity to do so.

People are always bad until necessity forces them to do good.

You can't trust what you see in quiet times.

While people are deceived in general matters, they are never deceived in private ones.

The foolishness of people is such that they often do not notice the poison inside what is good in appearance.

Weapons should be the last resort when other means fail (incorrectly attributed; this quote actually belongs to Titus Livius).

It is much better to instill fear than to be loved. People are less afraid of offending a person who inspired them with love than someone who acted out of fear. After all, love is held together by bonds of gratitude, but these bonds are broken at every opportunity. Fear is based on fear that never leaves you.

Fortune is like a woman, and whoever wants to conquer her must argue and fight with her, just as fighting a woman requires beating her and pushing her around.

Truly, the passion for conquest is natural and common.

The least evil should be considered good.

Fortune belongs to that sex which is inferior only to strength and repels anyone who does not know how to dare.

The masses are not able to establish state order, because due to the difference of opinions they cannot understand its good side, but, having experienced good order through experience, they will not agree to part with it.

It's better to be bold than cautious, because destiny is a woman.

There are three types of minds: one comprehends everything by itself; another can understand what the first has comprehended; the third does not comprehend anything himself and cannot understand what others have comprehended.

Those who relied less on the mercy of fate remained in power longer.

Knowledge of the future through the past is also facilitated by the fact that individual peoples, as can be seen, will retain the same morals for a long time.

It is not gold, as popular opinion proclaims, that good soldiers are the spring of war, for for gold you will not always find good soldiers, but good soldiers will always get gold.

There is no business that is more difficult to organize, more dangerous to conduct, and more doubtful of success than replacing old orders with new ones.

While people are deceived in general matters, they are never deceived in private ones.

You should come to terms with the fact that every decision is doubtful, because it is in the order of things that, having avoided one trouble, you will find yourself in another.

Ghosts are more majestic from afar than up close.

Don’t believe it when some actor shouts that life is a joy to him, they say. It’s more pleasant than living among people, cracking slop with pigs in a barn.

I hope without believing in success; I shed tears - my heart drowns in them; I laugh, but the laughter does not penetrate inside; I’m burning all over - no one knows about it; I am afraid of the sounds and visions of everyone; Everything around me adds to the torment. Hoping, I cry, and laughing, I burn, I am afraid of everything, no matter what I look at.

All armed prophets won, and all unarmed ones died.

The ambitious aspirations of people know no end: first they strive to ensure that they themselves are not offended, then they themselves begin to offend others.

Look your fate in the face, avoid evil, but if you cannot avoid it, bear the retribution awaiting you like a man, don’t lose heart, don’t relax like a woman.

One should beware of abusing mercy.

Sovereigns must entrust tasks that are displeasing to their subjects to others, and those that are pleasing must be carried out themselves.

I do not think that anything more unworthy can be found in a republic than when a law is passed and not observed, and still less when the law itself is not observed by the legislator.

When passing a sentence, one must be guided by philanthropy, prudence and mercy.

The sovereign is not free to choose his people, but he is free to choose the nobility, for his right is to punish and pardon, to bring closer and subject to disgrace.

Insults must be inflicted at once: the less they are tried, the less harm they cause; It is useful to provide good deeds little by little, so that they are tasted as best as possible.

Wars start when you start them, but they don't stop when you want them to (option: Wars start at your will, but don't stop at your will).

The makers of laws in republics and kingdoms must firmly restrain the selfish aspirations of the people and deprive them of all hope of impunity.

Language is given to man in order to hide his thoughts.

War is sweet to those who have not experienced it.

A serious illness is easy to cure at first, but difficult to recognize; when it intensifies, it is easy to recognize, but difficult to cure.

It is better to lose with your own people than to win with someone else’s, for the victory achieved by someone else’s weapons is not true.

The enemy can be fought in two ways: firstly, by laws, and secondly, by force. The first method is inherent in man, the second - in beasts.

A politician should not become a slave to his own word.

War cannot be avoided, it can only be postponed - to the benefit of your enemy.

The sovereign is not free to choose his people, but he is free to choose the nobility, for his right is to punish and pardon, to bring closer and subject to disgrace.

Returning to the debate about what is better: for the sovereign to be loved or to be feared, I will say that they love sovereigns at their own discretion, and they are afraid at the discretion of sovereigns, therefore it is better for a wise ruler to count on what depends on him, and not on anyone something else.

Ambition is such a strong human emotion that no matter how high we climb, we never experience satisfaction.

The main foundations of the state are good laws and good troops; good laws are powerless where there are no good troops; where there are good troops, good laws are necessary.

A reprehensible mistake is made by those who do not take into account their capabilities and strive for conquest at any cost.

To comprehend the essence of the people, one must be a sovereign, and in order to comprehend the nature of sovereigns, one must belong to the people.

The best state is the one whose subjects are happy and prosperous.

Human ambition knows no bounds: first people strive to protect themselves from offense, and then they themselves are ready to offend their neighbors.

A reprehensible mistake is made by those who do not take into account their capabilities and strive for conquest at any cost.

When it comes to saving the fatherland, there can be no talk of betrayal and loyalty, of evil and good, of mercy and cruelty - but all means are equal, as long as the goal is achieved.

Wars begin at will and end at opportunity.

Anyone who thinks that new benefits can make the great of this world forget about old grievances is mistaken.

Power based on the people's love for the dictator is weak power, because it depends on the people; power based on the people's fear of the dictator is strong power, because it depends only on the dictator himself.

A prudent person who does not know how to become courageous when necessary becomes the cause of his own death.

The sovereign does not need to possess all the virtues, but there is a direct need to appear to have them.

If the government is interested in corrupting the people, it achieves what it wants by rewarding traitors instead of punishing them.

A sovereign whose city is well fortified and whose people are not embittered cannot be attacked.

A prudent person who does not know how to become courageous when necessary becomes the cause of his own death.

The basis of power in all states - both inherited and mixed and new - are good laws and a good army.

A people accustomed to living under the rule of a sovereign and, thanks to chance, becoming free, finds it difficult to maintain freedom.

Only those methods of defense are good, thorough and reliable, which depend on yourself and on your valor.

If an insult must be inflicted on a person, it must be so severe that there is no need to fear revenge for it.

In fact, there is no more effective method to enslave a city than its destruction.

States are acquired either by one's own or by someone else's weapons, or by the grace of fate, or by valor.

A wise man must always choose the paths tested by great people and imitate the most remarkable, so that even if he does not achieve their greatness, he will perceive at least some reflection of it.

The sovereign does not need to possess all the virtues, but there is a direct need to appear to have them.

The contempt and hatred of his subjects is the very thing that a sovereign should fear most of all.

Man by nature is more inclined to condemn than to praise.

The sovereign, if he wants to keep his subjects in obedience, should not reckon with accusations of cruelty.

The power that relies on a mercenary army will never be strong or durable.

Ambition is such a strong human feeling that no matter how high we climb, we never experience satisfaction.

If there is no sound mind, the powers will not last, Where changes are a complete mess.

There is such a difference between how they live and how they should live, that the one who, because of what is about to happen, loses sight of what is actually happening, is preparing his own destruction rather than his salvation, for a person who would want to follow in everything alone good, would inevitably perish among so many vicious people.

The Lord does not create everything with his own hands, so as not to deprive us of a free mind and part of our well-deserved glory.

It is useless to give good advice to a sovereign who does not himself have wisdom.

Human life is such that if you don’t allow yourself to do stupid things occasionally, you’ll die of boredom.

If there is no sound mind, the powers will not last, Where changes are a complete mess.

Those who relied less on the mercy of fate remained in power longer.

Friendship, which is given for money, and not acquired by the greatness and nobility of the soul, can be bought, but cannot be kept.

If there is no sound mind, the powers will not last, Where changes are a complete mess.

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

He who is a good friend himself has good friends.

To comprehend the essence of the people, one must be a sovereign, and in order to comprehend the nature of sovereigns, one must belong to the people.

While people are deceived in general matters, they are never deceived in private ones.

Perfect truth almost always seems incredible.

You can fight the enemy in two ways: firstly, by laws, and secondly, by force. The first method is inherent in man, the second - in beasts.

Alien armor is either wide, or tight, or too bulky.

The discovery of new truths has always been and will be as dangerous as the discovery of new lands.

Hide what you say yourself, find out what others say and you will become a true prince.

People are always bad until necessity forces them to do good.

Love doesn't go well with fear.

States are acquired either by one's own or by someone else's weapons, or by the grace of fate, or by valor.

People know how to be neither completely bad nor completely good.

Good deeds can incur hatred just as much as bad deeds.

Anyone who thinks that new benefits can make the great of this world forget about old grievances is mistaken.

Wars start when they want, but end when they can.

Nothing else exhausts itself like generosity: by showing it, you simultaneously lose the very opportunity to show it and either fall into poverty, arousing contempt, or ruin others, thereby incurring hatred on yourself.

Good deeds can incur hatred just as much as bad deeds.

Language is given to man in order to hide his thoughts.

The most terrible thing is to realize that you have the strength, that you could do something, and that you will never do anything - you will die senselessly.

Every change paves the way for other changes.

He who has a good army will find good allies.

A serious illness is easy to cure at first, but difficult to recognize; when it intensifies, it is easy to recognize, but difficult to cure.

They love sovereigns at their own discretion, and fear them at the discretion of sovereigns, so it is better for a wise ruler to count on what depends on him and not on someone else.

Every change paves the way for other changes.

A reprehensible mistake is made by those who do not take into account their capabilities and strive for conquest at any cost.

But you need to know that there is no business whose organization would be more difficult, its management more dangerous, and its success more doubtful than the replacement of old orders with new ones.

The masses are wiser and more constant than the sovereign.

Having avoided one trouble, you find yourself in another; However, this is wisdom: having weighed all possible troubles, consider the least evil as a good.

Love doesn't go well with fear. Everyone sees what you appear to be, few feel what you are.

Such is human nature that, having seen good from someone from whom they expected evil, people become attached to benefactors.

He who is not like everyone else is one against everyone, for the world was created for the rabble and there is no one in it except the rabble.

A serious illness is easy to cure at first, but difficult to recognize; when it intensifies, it is easy to recognize, but difficult to cure.

Those who remain neutral face the hatred of the vanquished and the contempt of the victors.

Alien armor is either wide, or tight, or too bulky.

By wasting what belongs to others, you add to your glory, while by wasting what is yours, you only harm yourself.

Those whose mode of action corresponds to the peculiarities of the time maintain their well-being, and those whose mode of action does not correspond to their time lose their well-being.