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

Only those means of security are good, are certain, are lasting, that depend on yourself and your own vigor.

Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires.

Hence it comes that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.

A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one's own ignorance.

He who blinded by ambition, raises himself to a position whence he cannot mount higher, must thereafter fall with the greatest loss.

As all those have shown who have discussed civil institutions, and as every history is full of examples, it is necessary to whoever arranges to found a Republic and establish laws in it, to presuppose that all men are bad and that they will use their malignity of mind every time they have the opportunity.