Best quotes from The Prince

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

Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.

A prince must have no other objective, no other thought, nor take up any profession but that of war, its methods and its discipline, for that is the only art expected of a ruler. And it is of such great value that it not only keeps hereditary princes in power, but often raises men of lowly condition to that rank.

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

There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.

If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.

The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.

People are by nature changeable. It is easy to persuade them about some particular matter, but it is hard to hold them to that persuasion. Hence it is necessary to provide that when they no longer believe, they can be forced to believe.

A prince ought, above all things, to always try in every action to develop the reputation of being a great and remarkable man.

Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see but few can test by feeling.

Alexander never did what he said, Cesare never said what he did.

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

Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.

It is a common fault not to anticipate storms when the sea is calm.

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

Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.