“It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.” The Prince, Chapter XVII Prioritizes control over affection: fear binds people more reliably than loyalty in unstable regimes.
“The ends justify the means.” Paraphrased from The Prince Condenses his realpolitik: moral ambiguity is permissible if it secures power and stability.
“Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, for everyone can see and few can feel. Everyone sees what you appear to be; few really know what you are.” The Prince, Chapter XVIII Advises cultivating appearances over transparency—perception often trumps reality.
“He who establishes a dictatorship and does not kill Brutus, or he who founds a republic and does not kill the sons of Brutus, will only reign a short time.” Discourses on Livy, Book III Warns leaders to eliminate potential rivals preemptively, even at moral cost.
“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.” The Prince Celebrates cunning over brute force; subtlety as the superior tool of power.
“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.” The Prince, Chapter XVIII Balances cunning (fox) and force (lion) as dual necessities for survival.
“Men are so simple of mind and so much dominated by their immediate needs that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.” The Prince, Chapter XVIII Cynical view of human gullibility and the ease of manipulating desperation.
“There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.” The Prince, Chapter III Urges proactive conflict to avoid being outmaneuvered by enemies.
“Politics have no relation to morals.” The Prince Rejects idealism, framing governance as a realm separate from ethical constraints.
“Fortune is the arbiter of one-half of our actions, but she still leaves us to direct the other half.” The Prince, Chapter XXV Balances fatalism and agency: adaptability is key to navigating chaos.