There are three kinds of minds: first those that attain insight and understanding of things by their own means, then those that recognize what is right when others explain it to them, and finally those that are capable of neither one nor the other.
You have to be a prince to understand the people, and you have to belong to the people to understand the princes...
Any harm you do to a man should be done in such a way that you need not fear his revenge.
For a long time I have not said what I believed, nor do I ever believe what I say, and if indeed sometimes I do happen to tell the truth, I hide it among so many lies that it is hard to find.
For without invention, no one was ever a great man in his own trade.
There are three kinds of brains. The one understands things unassisted, the other understands things when shown by others, the third understands neither alone nor with the explanations of others.
In our own days we have seen no princes accomplish great results save those who have been accounted miserly.
He who is the cause of another’s advancement is thereby the cause of his own ruin.
Delusion gives you more happiness than truth gives to me. For injuries ought to be done all at one time, so that, being tasted less, they offend less; benefits ought to be given little by little, so that the flavour of them may last longer.
Men ought either to be well treated, or crushed.
In respect to foresight and firmness, the people are more prudent, more stable, and have better judgement than princes.
One should never risk one’s whole fortune unless supported by one’s entire forces.
So far as he is able, a prince should stick to the path of good but, if the necessity arises, he should know how to follow evil.
The princes who have done great things are the ones who have taken little account of their promises.
The sinews of war are not gold, but good soldiers.
Good order and discipline in any army are to be depended upon more than courage alone.
Thus it is well to seem merciful, faithful, humane, sincere, religious, and also to be so; but you must have the mind so disposed that when it is needful to be otherwise you may be able to change to the opposite qualities.
Forgiveness proceeds from a generous soul.
Wisdom consists of knowing how to distinguish the nature of trouble, and in choosing the lesser evil.
To ensure victory the troops must have confidence in themselves as well as in their commanders.