Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469–1527) was a Florentine statesman, political philosopher, and dramatist.
Machiavelli was born in Florence to an aristocratic family. Not much is known of the first half of his life. After holding high office in Florence as an administrator for diplomacy and warfare, and later as an ambassador, he was exiled by the Medicis on suspicion of conspiracy.
Machiavelli is best known for his Il Principe (The Prince, 1532) a manual on obtaining and holding onto power. The Prince advises leaders that, in a harsh political world, the acquisition and the effective use of power may sometimes require unethical and deceitful methods that are not in and of themselves desirable.
Machiavelli is considered the originator of the philosophy of political pragmatism wherein “the ends justify the means” and morality is irrelevant. His writings and career are subject to varied interpretations. The term Machiavellian—used to describe cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous political behavior—arose from a misunderstanding that he advocated evil for its own sake.
Machiavelli’s other principal political and historical works include Discorsi sopra la prima deca di Livio (A Commentary on the First Ten Books of Livy, c.1516–19,) Dell’arte Della Guerra (On the Art of War, 1519–20,) and Istorie Fiorentine (A History of Florence, c.1520–25.) He also wrote the Italian Renaissance comedy Mandragola (The Mandrake Root, c.1518,) and a novella, a few satirical poems, and an impressive collection of letters.
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It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Men are more apt to be mistaken in their generalizations than in their particular observations.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Judgment
It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Honor, Society, Humility
If the course of human affairs be considered, it will be seen that many things arise against which heaven does not allow us to guard.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Destiny
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
When neither their property nor their honor is touched, the majority of men live content.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Happiness, Honor
Decide which is the line of conduct that presents the fewest drawbacks and then follow it out as being the best one, because one never finds anything perfectly pure and unmixed, or exempt from danger.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Risk, Decisions, Danger
From this we learn that a wise prince sees to it that never, in order to attack someone, does he become the ally of a prince more powerful than himself, except when necessity forces him, as I said above. If you win, you are the powerful kings prisoner, and wise princes avoid as much as they can being in other mens power.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Humanity
Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Performance, Power
No one should be astonished if in the following discussion of completely new princedoms and of the prince and of government, I bring up the noblest examples. Because, since men almost always walk in the paths beaten by others and carry on their affairs by imitating even though it is not possible to keep wholly in the paths of others or to attain the ability of those you imitate prudent man will always choose to take paths beaten by great men and to imitate those who have been especially admirable, in order that if his ability does not reach theirs, at least it may offer some suggestion of it; and he will act like prudent archers, who, seeing that the mark they plan to hit is too far away and knowing what space can be covered by the power of their bows, take an aim much higher than their mark, not in order to reach with their arrows so great a height, but to be able, with the aid of so high an aim, to attain their purpose.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.
—Niccolo Machiavelli
Topics: Leaders, Leadership
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
Topics: Virtues, Intelligence