511 Quotes by Niccolò Machiavelli

The princes who have done great things are the ones who have taken little account of their promises.

It is a foolish prince who entrusts the safety of his lands to hired men.

All the armed prophets conquered; all the unarmed ones perished.

For this is the tragedy of man circumstances change, but he does not.

There is nothing so difficult or so dangerous as to undertake to change the order of things.

For without invention, no one was ever a great man in his own trade.

It follows that acceleration in the rate of change will result in an increasing need for reorganization. Reorganization is usually feared, because it means disturbance of the status quo, a potential threat to peoples vested interests in their jobs, and an upset to established ways of doing things. For these reasons, needed reorganization is often deferred. With a resulting loss in effectiveness and increase in costs.

Never lead your soldiers to battle if you have not first confirmed their spirit and known them to be without fear and ordered; and never test them except when you see that they hope to win.

Power is the pivot on which everything hinges. He who has the power is always right; the weaker is always wrong.