Niccol Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513 as a political treatise.
It is a political action manual based on historical lessons and Machiavelli’s personal experience as a foreign secretary in Florence.
The book explains the process of how to gain power, establish a state, and maintain it.
We have handpicked quotes from The Prince book for you.
Table of Contents
The Prince Quotes by Niccolò Machiavelli
“He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“It is a common fault not to anticipate storms when the sea is calm.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses they will not save you if you are hated by the people.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Is it better to be loved or feared?” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
“You ought never to suffer your designs to be crossed in order to avoid war, since war is not so to be avoided, but is only deferred to your disadvantage.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Any injury we do to a man must be such that we need not fear his vengeance.” ~ Machiavelli, Niccolo, The Prince.
“The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
Other Book Quotes: Tao Te Ching Quotes by Lao Tzu and Walden Quotes by Henry David Thoreau
Best The Prince Quotes by Niccolò Machiavelli
“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.” ~ Machiavelli Niccolo, The Prince.
“How we live is so different from how we ought to live that he who studies what ought to be done rather than what is done will learn the way to his downfall rather than to his preservation.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“There are many who think a wise prince ought, when he has the chance, to foment astutely some enmity, so that by suppressing it he will augment his greatness.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are; and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“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. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are; and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“In peace one is despoiled by the mercenaries, in war by one’s enemies.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Wisdom consists of knowing how to distinguish the nature of trouble, and in choosing the lesser evil.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
Famous The Prince Quotes by Niccolò Machiavelli
“One ought perhaps not to count Moses, as he was a mere executor of the will of God; he must nevertheless be admired, if only for the grace that made him worthy of speaking to God.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“It is a common fault of men not to reckon on storms in fair weather.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Nature creates few men brave, industry and training makes many.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“And yet we cannot define as skillful killing one’s fellow citizens, betraying one’s friends, and showing no loyalty, mercy, or moral obligation. These means can lead to power, but not glory.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“He who builds on the people, builds on the mud.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“For Time, driving all things before it, may bring with it evil as well as good.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Men injure either from fear or hatred.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“In conclusion, the arms of others either fall from your back, or they weigh you down, or they bind you fast.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Therefore a wise prince ought to adopt such a course that his citizens will always in every sort and kind of circumstance have need of the state and of him, and then he will always find them faithful.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“And let it here be noted that men are either to be kindly treated, or utterly crushed, since they can revenge lighter injuries, but not graver. Wherefore the injury we do to a man should be of a sort to leave no fear of reprisals.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent, so that if he does not attain to their greatness, at any rate he will get some tinge of it.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
Quotes from The Prince
“A man who is used to acting in one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no longer are in harmony with his ways.” ~ Machiavelli Niccolo, The Prince
“The people, as Cicero says, may be ignorant, but they can recognize the truth and will readily yield when some trustworthy man explains it to them.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“The memory of their former freedom will not let them rest; so that the safest course is either to destroy them, or to go and live in them.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“All the States and Governments by which men are or ever have been ruled, have been and are either Republics or Princedoms.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“But when you disarm them, you at once offend them by showing that you distrust them, either for cowardice or for want of loyalty, and either of these opinions breeds hatred against you.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“A man who wishes to profess at all times will come to ruin among so many who are not good.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“For, in truth, there is no sure way of holding other than by destroying.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“It is better to be feared than to be loved, if you can not be both.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“It is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to necessity.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
Top The Prince Quotes
“Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Men will not look at things as they really are, but as they wish them to be—and are ruined.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“For whoever believes that great advancement and new benefits make men forget old injuries is mistaken.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“My view is that it is desirable to be both loved and feared; but it is difficult to achieve both and, if one of them has to be lacking, it is much safer to be feared than loved.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“He who causes another to become powerful ruins himself, for he brings such a power into being either by design or by force, and both of these elements are suspects to the one whom he has made powerful.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“Men must either be caressed or else destroyed.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“There is no other way of guarding against adulation, than to make people understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth. On the other hand, when everyone feels at liberty to tell you the truth, they will be apt to be lacking in respect to you.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“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.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“A prince need take little account of conspiracies if the people are disposed in his favor.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“I hold strongly to this: that it is better to be impetuous than circumspect; because fortune is a woman and if she is to be submissive it is necessary to beat and coerce her.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
Powerful The Prince Quotes
“Men are so simple, and governed so absolutely by their present needs, that he who wishes to deceive will never fail in finding willing dupes.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“If you wish to please me, and to bring success and honour to yourself, do right and study, because others will help you if you help yourself.” ~ Nicolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“He said that it always struck him with surprise that while men in buying an earthen or glass vase would sound it first to learn if it were good, yet in choosing a wife they were content with only looking at her.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, for everyone can see and few can feel. Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.” ~ Machiavelli, The Prince.
“And truly it is a very natural and ordinary thing to desire to acquire, and always, when men do it who can, they will be praised or not blamed; but when they cannot, and wish to do it anyway, here lies the error and the blame.” ~Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“Men intrinsically do not trust new things that they have not experienced themselves.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“A prince must not have any other object nor any other thought… but war, its institutions, and its discipline; because that is the only art befitting one who commands.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Men sooner forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“What remains to be done must be done by you; since in order not to deprive us of our free will and such share of glory as belongs to us, God will not do everything himself.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
Profound The Prince Quotes
“For he who innovates will have for his enemies all those who are well off under the existing order of things, and only lukewarm supporters in those who might be better off under the new.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“For, besides what has been said, it should be borne in mind that the temper of the multitude is fickle, and that while it is easy to persuade them of a thing, it is hard to fix them in that persuasion.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Therefore any cruelty has to be executed at once, so that the less it is tasted, the less it offends; while benefits must be dispensed little by little, so that they will be savored all the more.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“For one change always leaves a dovetail into which another will fit.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince Quotes.
“The wise man should always follow the roads that have been trodden by the great, and imitate those who have most excelled, so that if he cannot reach their perfection, he may at least acquire something of its savour.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“As a general thing anyone who is not your friend will advise neutrality while anyone who is your friend will ask you to join him, weapon in hand.” ~ Nicolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
Inspirational The Prince Quotes
“It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“The best fortress which a prince can possess is the affection of his people.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“And it ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“Thus it is well to seem merciful faithful humane religious and upright and also to be so but the mind should remain so balanced that were it needful not to be so you should be able and know how to change to the contrary.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“A prince is also esteemed when he is a true friend and a true enemy.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“The nature of man is such that people consider themselves put under an obligation as much by the benefits they confer as by those they receive.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“For however strong you may be in respect of your army, it is essential that in entering a new Province you should have the good will of its inhabitants.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“And here comes in the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both; but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“For, although one may be very strong in armed forces, yet in entering a province one has always need of the goodwill of the natives.” ~ Machiavelli, Niccolo, The Prince.
“It’s better to be impulsive than cautious; fortune is female and if you want to stay on top of her you have to slap and thrust. You’ll see she’s more likely to yield that way than to men who go about her coldly. And being a woman she likes her men young, because they’re not so cagey, they’re wilder and more daring when they master her.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“He who becomes a Prince through the favour of the people should always keep on good terms with them; which it is easy for him to do, since all they ask is not to be oppressed.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
“If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.
“Being feared and not hated go well together, and the prince can always do this if he does not touch the property or the women of his citizens and subjects.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli (quotes from The Prince).
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