Niccolo Machiavelli

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.

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.

There is no avoiding war it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.

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

No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.

Men are always wicked at bottom unless they are made good by some compulsion.

Only those means of security are good are certain are lasting that depend on yourself and your own vigor.

One never finds anything perfectly pure and ... exempt from danger.

Where the willingness is great the difficulties cannot be great.

Men are always averse to enterprises in which they foresee difficulties.

Fear is secured by a dread of punishment.

Men hesitate less to injure a man who makes himself loved than to injure one who makes himself feared for their love is held by a chain of obligation which because of men's wickedness is broken on every occasion for the sake of selfish profit but their fear is secured by a dread of punishment.

Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.

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.

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

Benefits should be granted little by little so that they may be better enjoyed.