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.

Human beings remain constant in their methods of conduct.

He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.

So far as he is able, a prince should stick to the path of good but, if the necessity arises, he should know how to follow evil.

A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.

There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new order of things..... Whenever his enemies have occasion to attack the innovator they do so with the passion of partisans, while the others defend him sluggishly so that the innovator and his party alike are vulnerable.

Never was anything great achieved without danger.