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The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.

Niccolo Machiavelli

A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Promise

A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.

Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Change

Success

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

Niccolo Machiavelli

Faith

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

The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow.

The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Life

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

Niccolo Machiavelli

Will

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.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Policy

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

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

Niccolo Machiavelli

Fool

Man

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.

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 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

First