Niccolò Machiavelli

Quotes are word for word from the source.

• Human nature assumption

  “all men are bad, and will always, when they have free field, give loose to their evil inclinations”

  Our noteHe argues that laws must be designed with the assumption that people will act selfishly.

• Choosing least inconvenience

  “in all our deliberations we ought to consider where we are likely to encounter least inconvenience, and accept that as the course to be preferred”

  Our noteHe advises choosing the path with the most manageable downsides since no path is perfect.

• Constant movement

  “all human affairs being in movement, and incapable of remaining as they are, they must either rise or fall”

  Our noteThe author notes that businesses and states cannot remain static; they either grow or decline.

• Starting from scratch

  “the sculptor can more easily carve a fair statue from a rough block, than from the block which has been badly shaped out by another.”

  Our noteHe compares the difficulty of reforming corrupt societies versus simple ones to sculpting.

• Habit of dependence

  “For a people in such circumstances may be likened to the wild animal which, though destined by nature to roam at large in the woods, has been reared in the cage and in constant confinement”

  Our noteMachiavelli explains why people accustomed to monarchy struggle with sudden freedom.

• Avoid partial risks

  “It was never judged a prudent course to peril your whole fortunes where you put not forth your whole strength”

  Our noteMachiavelli warns against staking everything on a small fraction of your resources.

• Strategic patience

  “it is a far safer course to temporize with it than to attempt to quell it by violence. For commonly those who make this attempt only add fuel to the flame, and hasten the impending ruin.”

  Our noteMachiavelli explains why rushing to crush a growing threat often backfires.

• Institutional friction

  “as the ordinary institutions of a commonwealth work but slowly, no council and no magistrate having authority to act in everything alone, but in most matters one standing in need of the other”

  Our noteMachiavelli describes why standard procedures fail during urgent crises.

• Short sighted focus

  “For, as King Ferrando was wont to say, men often behave like certain of the smaller birds, which are so intent on the prey to which nature incites them, that they discern not the eagle hovering overhead for their destruction.”

  Our noteHe cautions against being so focused on small gains that you miss existential threats.

• addressing threats early

  “it is most dangerous to cope with him; it being dangerous, as I have before explained, to contend with a disorder which has already made progress in a city.”

  Our noteWarning about the danger of letting an ambitious individual grow too powerful before intervening.

• Correctability of Errors

  “if the disease of the people may be healed by words, while that of the prince must be dealt with by the sword”

  Our noteIt is easier to correct a misguided group through persuasion than to fix a corrupt leader.

• Loss Aversion

  “a lost freedom is avenged with more ferocity than a threatened freedom is defended.”

  Our noteThe author observes that people fight harder to regain what they lost than to protect what they have.

• Systemic resets

  “when human craft and wickedness have reached their highest pitch, it must needs come about that the world will purge herself in one or another of these three ways”

  Our noteHe discusses how extreme corruption or overpopulation leads to inevitable systemic collapse.

• Core Assets

  “These are things which may swell your strength but do not constitute it, being in themselves null and of no avail without an army on which you can depend.”

  Our noteHe argues that secondary resources are useless without a primary force.

• Core business assets

  “But the substance and sinew of an army, and that part of it which ought constantly to be most considered, should always be the infantry.”

  Our noteHe argues that the foundational element of any organization is the core group of people on the ground.

• Resilience and discipline

  “men can be taught to keep rank, and if thrown into disorder to recover form; whereas, it is difficult to keep horses in line”

  Our noteMachiavelli compares the reliability and discipline of human units versus less controllable assets.

• Binary strategy

  “when we have to pass sentence upon powerful States accustomed to live in freedom, we must either destroy them utterly, or else treat them with much indulgence”

  Our noteMachiavelli concludes that middle-ground policies are the most dangerous when dealing with rivals.

• Superficial leadership

  “Our Italian Princes beleeved, before they tasted the blowes of the outlandish warre, that it should suffice a Prince to know by writinges, how to make a subtell aunswere, to write a goodly letter”

  Our noteMachiavelli criticizes leaders who focus on appearances rather than military and strategic readiness.

• Trusting the people

  “Trust the people' is a maxim he repeats and enforces again and again.”

  Our noteMachiavelli emphasized the importance of relying on the citizenry rather than elites.

• Strategic secrecy

  “The armie ought not to knowe what the Capitaine purposeth to doo”

  Our noteThe importance of keeping plans confidential from the rank and file to ensure success.

• Beware of advisors

  “In the other affaires, he ought not to doe any thing without councell, and those are to be feared, which councell him, leaste he have some aboute him which in time of peace desireth to have warre”

  Our noteHe discusses the danger of advisors who profit from constant crisis.

• Value of order

  “You speake against all reason, to saie that a wise man blameth order, he maie bee well thought wise, and be nothyng so.”

  Our noteHe defends the necessity of structured systems against critics who blame 'order' for failures.

• Integrity in hiring

  “lette no manne beleve that in the dishoneste educacion, and filthy minde, there maie take any vertue, whiche is in any parte laudable.”

  Our noteHe warns against expecting excellence from individuals who lack basic integrity.

• Proven systems

  “This was the ordering, and importaunce of the armours of the Romanes, by the which they possessed all the world.”

  Our noteHe attributes the Roman Empire's success to their specific choice of weapons and armor.

• Avoid overvaluing assets

  “I judge, that there ought not to be made more accompt of horses, then in olde time was made, for that (as afore is sayde) manye times in our dayes, they have with the footemen receyved shame”

  Our noteMachiavelli argues that despite technological improvements in cavalry, they remain inferior to well-organized infantry.

• Focus on fundamentals

  “I say therefore, that those people or kingdomes, whiche shall esteeme more the power of horses, then the power of footemen be alwaies weake, and subjecte to all ruine”

  Our noteHe warns that relying on flashy, expensive units instead of the core foundation leads to failure.

• Scaling the System

  “in joyning more men, there is no other to be doen, then to ingrosse the orders”

  Our noteHe describes how a well-defined organizational structure can be scaled simply by expanding the existing units.

• Follow through

  “Victorie ought with all celeritie to bee folowed”

  Our noteHe emphasizes the importance of acting quickly to capitalize on a successful outcome.

• Countering Enemy Tactics

  “the greatest remedie that is used againste a devise of the enemie, is to dooe willingly thesame, whiche he hath devised that thou shalt dooe perforce”

  Our noteHe discusses how to neutralize an opponent's strategy by preemptively adopting the position they want to force you into.

• Versatile Defense Formations

  “In soche case, the aunciente capitaines were wont, to marche with the armie quadrante, whiche so thei called this forme, not for that it was altogether quadrante, but for that it was apte to faight of fower partes”

  Our noteMachiavelli explains the strategic purpose of the square formation for marching through dangerous territory.