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" 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

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" The wise man does at once what the fool does finally. "

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" Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed. "

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" It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles. "

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

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" The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present. "

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" Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great. "

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" The distinction between children and adults, while probably useful for some purposes, is at bottom a specious one, I feel. There are only individual egos, crazy for love. "

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" Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain. "

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" 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. "

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" Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil. "

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" A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair. "

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" 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. "

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

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" Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds. "

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" The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all. "

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" The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. "

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" 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. "

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" It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both. "

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" 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. "

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" 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. "

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

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

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" A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests. "

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" 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. "

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" Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions. "

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

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" A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise. "

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

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" Never was anything great achieved without danger. "

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" I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it. "

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