Ambition is so powerful a passion in the human breast, that however high we reach we are never satisfied.
Niccolo Machiavelli
A wise man ought always to follow the paths beaten by great men, and to imitate those who have been supreme, so that if his ability does not equal theirs, at least it will savor of it. Let him act like the clever archers who, designing to hit the mark which yet appears too far distant, and knowing the limits to which the strength of their bow attains, take aim much higher than the mark, not to reach by their strength or arrow to so great a height, but to be able with the aid of so high an aim to hit the mark they wish to reach.
strength ability man men knowing wise clever limits height act arrow great paths aid
Men are so simple and yield so readily to the desires of the moment that he who will trick will always find another who will suffer to be tricked.
men moment desires simple find suffer
There is no other way of guarding oneself against flattery than by letting men understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth but when everyone can tell you the truth, you lose their respect.
men truth respect lose speaking understand flattery
All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it's impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
strength mistakes ambition danger action inspire risk acting suffer things impossible prudence
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, and the third is useless.
good useless
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 to things.
order success things difficult hand conduct
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.
No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.
enterprise enemy succeed execution
ambition human passion powerful
It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage, than the creation of a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new ones.
change success system creation gain plan dangerous difficult preservation profit institutions
A new system is a hard thing to put into place, it is opposed by those that would be disadvantaged by the new system and it receives no support from those that would benefit.
change system support hard place benefit thing
One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.
find deceit
A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.
loss drive despair son father inheritance bear
Politics have no relation to morals.
politics morals
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