What do you think?
Rate this book
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1513
Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare to say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite.Machiavelli discusses numerous examples of sovereigns who either benefitted from following such advice or, conversely, who suffered calamity for adhering to a sense of virtue.
The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all鈥eople should either be caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage they will get their revenge; but if you cripple them there is nothing they can do. If you need to injure someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.鈥�In addition to post-revolutionary purges and new government administrations, the above has also become a truism for business and is why corporations do 鈥渕assive layoffs鈥� rather than a series of smaller scale terminations. Gee, thanks Niccolo.
There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you. (137)
"毓賯賱 賳賲蹖 倬匕蹖乇丿 讴賴 卮禺氐 賲爻賱賾丨 亘丕 賲蹖賱 賵 乇囟丕蹖 禺賵丿 丕夭 卮禺氐 睾蹖乇 賲爻賱賾丨 丕胤丕毓鬲 讴賳丿."
"卮賴乇蹖丕乇 毓丕賯賱 賳亘丕蹖丿 丕夭 丕鬲氐丕賮 亘賴 馗賱賲 亘鬲乇爻丿貙 賵賯鬲蹖 讴賴 亘賴 賵爻蹖賱賴 蹖 丌賳 賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳丿 賳丕丕賲賳蹖 賵 賴乇噩 賵 賲乇噩 乇丕 丌乇丕賲 讴賳丿."
"丕诏乇 卮賴乇蹖丕乇蹖 賵丕噩丿 鬲賲丕賲 氐賮丕鬲 賳蹖讴 亘丕卮丿貙 亘蹖 鬲乇丿蹖丿 卮丕蹖爻鬲賴 蹖 爻鬲丕蹖卮 鬲賲丕賲 丕亘賳丕蹖 亘卮乇 丕爻鬲貨 丕賲丕 鬲賳賴丕 蹖讴 卮賴乇蹖丕乇 毓丕賯賱 賲蹖 丿丕賳丿 讴賴 丿乇 賲賵賯毓 賲賯鬲囟蹖 亘丕蹖丿 亘蹖 丿睾丿睾賴 蹖 禺丕胤乇 亘賴 丕賯丿丕賲丕鬲 禺卮賳 賵 鬲賳丿 賲亘丕丿乇鬲 讴賳丿貙 夭蹖乇丕 亘丿賵賳 丕蹖賳 丕賯丿丕賲丕鬲 賳賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳 賯丿乇鬲 乇丕 丨賮馗 賳賲賵丿."
The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.
Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless.
Men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge.
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.