Niccolo Machiavelli

“Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.”

“Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.”

“God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.”

“No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.”

“Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.”

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

“Never was anything great achieved without danger.”

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

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

“One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.”

“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.”

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

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

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