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

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

Never was anything great achieved without danger.

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

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

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.

Men are driven by two principal impulses, either by love or by fear.

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.

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.

It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles.

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

…he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.

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

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.

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

Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.

The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar.

Appear as you may wish to be

There is nothing more important than appearing to be religious.

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.

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

He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command

Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.

Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.

Wisdom consists of knowing how to distinguish the nature of trouble, and in choosing the lesser evil.

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.

Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves

There is no avoiding war, it can only be postponed to the advantage of your enemy.

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

In conclusion, the arms of others either fall from your back, or they weigh you down, or they bind you fast.

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.

Half of these aren't even Machiavelli. Some are Plato, Thucydides etc....doesnt anyone check these?

Men never do good unless necessity drives them to it; but when they are free to choose and can do just as they please, confusion and disorder become rampant.

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.

Everyone who wants to know what will happen ought to examine what has happened: everything in this world in any epoch has their replicas in antiquity.

It is better to act and repent than not to act and regret.

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

He who builds on the people, builds on the mud

For one change always leaves a dovetail into which another will fit.

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.

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

One should never fall in the belief that you can find someone to pick you up.

Nature creates few men brave, industry and training makes many.

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.

Men sooner forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony

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.

Is it better to be loved or feared?

The best fortress which a prince can possess is the affection of his people.