When you disarm your subjects, however, you offend them by showing that either from cowardliness or lack of faith, you distrust them; and either conclusion will induce them to hate you.

The ends justifies the means.

Human beings remain constant in their methods of conduct.

Never was anything great achieved without danger.

And above all you ought to guard against leading an army to fight which is afraid or which is not confident of victory. For the greatest sign of an impending loss is when one does not believe one can win.

Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not to suffer.

All the armed prophets conquered; all the unarmed ones perished.