Niccolo Machiavelli

Niccolo Machiavelli

33 quotes

As a Florentine statesman, diplomat, and political theorist, Niccolo Machiavelli brought a distinctive perspective that shines through in every quotation. Their reputation for his political treatise The Prince, written around 1513 but not published until 1532, five years after his death lends every quote an extra layer of authority. 42 of Niccolo Machiavelli's sharpest quotes live here, spanning themes of Men, Good, War, Great, and Success. Readers often gravitate to this one: "The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."

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

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Change

All Quotes by Niccolo Machiavelli

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

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Change

“Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Society

“It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Men

“One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Change

“There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Good

“There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Religion

“Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Men

“Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Men

“The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Life

“Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Good

“The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Good

“Politics have no relation to morals.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Politics

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

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Men

“Men are so simple and yield so readily to the desires of the moment that he who will trick will always find another who will suffer to be tricked.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Men

“War is just when it is necessary arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Hope

“Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Great

“A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Good

“To understand the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to understand the nature of the prince, one must be of the people.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Nature

“War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Peace

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

— Niccolo Machiavelli

Great