He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building.

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.

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.

Therefore any cruelty has to be executed at once, so that the less it is tasted, the less it offends; while benefits must be dispensed little by little, so that they will be savored all the more.

Always assume incompetence before looking for conspiracy.

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

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

A battle that you win cancels all your mistakes. - Machiavelli

He who builds on the people, builds on the mud.

"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him." - Niccolo Machiavelli

There is nothing as likely to succeed as what the enemy believes you cannot attempt.

“Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.” — Niccolò Machiavelli

"A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one's own ignorance." - Niccolo Machiavelli

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.

One of the great secrets of the day is to know how to take possession of popular prejudices and passions, in such a way as to introduce a confusion of principles which makes impossible all understanding between those who speak the same language and have the same interests.

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.

LAW 21

A battle that you win cancels all your mistakes.

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