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.
Niccolo Machiavelli
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
I shall always esteem it not much to live in a city where the laws do less than men, because that fatherland is desirable where possessions and friends can be securely enjoyed, not where they can be easily taken from you, and friends for few of thems
admiration men live city friends laws possessions
Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration
appearance gifts men reality gift eyes judge appearances
It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope
men evil laws free wickedness act state spirits lawandlawyers
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
method intelligence men
Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions
men mankind simple victims lack
A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.
example virtues principles life man men
Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.
man men
Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge.
revenge man men
Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.
men
It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.
honor men
Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.
ambition men
Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot.
revenge men
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