Who is Niccolo Machiavelli ?
Niccolò Machiavelli is the short name of Italian philosopher, and diplomate Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli. This great political philosopher is known for his theories and philosophy but besides his political career, he is a writer. To the people, his book “The Prince” is the most famous.
Here he wrote his most famous Machiavellianism. He also wrote some comedy. He was a diplomatic and military official during the Florentine Republic. This great person mainly changed the history of politics.
Niccolò Machiavelli has a number of famous quotes that are still famous in our political life. Niccolò Machiavelli quotes are very closely followed by present politicians.
Top 50 Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes:
1. “Never was anything great achieved without danger” — Niccolo Machiavelli
2. “As the observance of divine institutions is the cause of the greatness of republics, so the disregard of them produces their ruin; for where the fear of God is wanting, there the country will come to ruin, unless it be sustained the fear of the princ”— Niccolo Machiavelli
3. “Men are more apt to be mistaken in their generalizations than in their particular observations.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
4. “Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
5. “I shall always esteem it not much to live in a city where the laws do less than men, because that fatherland is desirable where possessions and friends can be securely enjoyed, not where they can be easily taken from you, and friends for few of thems”— Niccolo Machiavelli
6. “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
Machiavelli Morality Quotes
7. “Because just as good morals, if they are to be maintained, have need of the laws, so the laws, if they are to be observed, have need of good morals”— Niccolo Machiavelli
8. “He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
9. “It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
10. “A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
Machiavelli Quotes on Leadership
11. “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
12. “It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
13. “Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
14. “We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
15. “No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
Machiavelli Quotes The Prince
16. “A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
17. “Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
18. “If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
19. “Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
20. “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
21. “The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
22. “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
23. “The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
Machiavelli Quotes on Human Nature
24. “Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
25. “Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
26. “The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
27. “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
28. “It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
29. “The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
30. “For among other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible; which is one of those disgraceful things which a prince must guard against.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
31. “Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
32. “When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
33. “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
34. “Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
35. “A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
36. “It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope”— Niccolo Machiavelli
37. “Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration”— Niccolo Machiavelli
38. “And if, to be sure, sometimes you need to conceal a fact with words, do it in such a way that it does not become known, or, if it does become known, that you have a ready and quick defense”— Niccolo Machiavelli
39. “Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see, but only a few can test by feeling. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are, and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
40. “Before all else, be armed.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
41. “One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
42. “It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
43. “The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
44. “God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
Machiavelli Quotes on War
45. “Hence it comes about that all armed prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed prophets have been destroyed.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
46. “Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
47. “Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
48. “The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
49. “I’m not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
50. “The chief foundations of all states… are good laws and good arms. And as there cannot be good laws where there are not good arms… where there are good arms there must be good laws…”— Niccolo Machiavelli
“Severities should be dealt out all at once, so that their suddenness may give less offense; benefits ought to be handed ought drop by drop, so that they may be relished the more.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
“The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.”— Niccolo Machiavelli
Niccolo Machiavelli Biography:
Biographies are written to present someone’s personal life to his readers. The biography describes a person’s life very well. Here we are going to discuss the short biography of Niccolò Machiavelli.
Niccolo Machiavelli Early Life
Niccolò Machiavelli was born on 3 May 1469. His birthplace was Florence, Republic of Florence. That place is the present Italian city of Florence.
His father was an attorney of the Republic of Florence. His father’s name is Bernardo di Niccolò Machiavelli and his mother is Bartolomea di Stefano Nelli.
His early life is not known to anyone very much. But everyone thinks that the royal lifestyle in his early life formed his later life. His thoughts and behavior were totally changed.
Niccolo Machiavelli Education
The early life and the education life of Niccolò Machiavelli are not known to anyone. He was born in a time when the educational institution was not available. Most of the people studied at home with a home teacher.
Niccolò Machiavelli also studied in that way. He mainly studied in his father’s house library. One of his teachers was Marcello Virgilio Adriani. Machiavelli learned Latin and greek from him.
Niccolo Machiavelli Career
As a diplomatic and military personnel Machiavelli is a successful person. He completed all his responsibilities with high perfection. Besides his political career, we can talk about his writing career.
The name Machiavelli is mostly known for his book “The Prince” reveals most of his philosophy about politics and political science.
This book is worldwide famous. “Discourses on Livy” is another series of books that increase his popularity. This book is totally about the history of his contemporary and previous times.
Why should we follow Niccolò Machiavelli?
To follow someone needs some specialty. Without these special characteristic features, nobody will love or follow that person. Niccolò Machiavelli is an idol to the present-time politicians.
He introduces a new type of political philosophy that changes the base of diplomacy and politics. For this reason, people from all over the world love him and follow him.
Though Machiavellianism has some sort of self-centeredness but this is accepted in politics. Niccolò Machiavelli quotes are also very famous among the people. We can follow him for these quotes.
Niccolò Machiavelli is a hero to some people and other people consider him to be a self-centered person. Before him, politics was not so rude to the opposition.
But after his new theory politicians started cheating with opponents and even with co-mates. Some people still use Niccolò Machiavelli quotes to describe or define political terms.
