186 things from this book went into her brain. Here are the first 6.
Machiavelli held that a prince's strength should be judged by whether he can stand on his own arms and resources, rather than by borrowed forces or luck. Those who depend on others' armies tend to fall when fortune turns.
Machiavelli held that a ruler who is feared but not hated is usually safer than one who is loved but easily despised. He saw the bond of obligation as fragile, since people break it when it suits them.
Machiavelli held that flatterers should be kept at a distance, because they tell a leader what he wants to hear. He also saw that fortune governs much of human affairs, but a wise person can prepare to meet her.
Machiavelli was shaped by the two opposing currents of his city, the austere Savonarola and the splendour-loving Lorenzo de' Medici. He drew on both, and his writings return often to the magnificence of Lorenzo's rule.
Machiavelli urged his son Guido to study hard, saying that others will help you if you help yourself. Effort you put in yourself is what draws help from others.
Machiavelli held that it is far better to earn the confidence of the people than to rely on fortresses. A leader's real protection is the goodwill of those they govern, not their walls.
Machiavelli saw that a man who rises on the fortune of others tends to fall with them. He also noted that those who are prepared for every outcome except the one that actually happens are still undone.
Machiavelli judged that boldness, rather than caution, is what wins and holds fortune. He also observed that a leader who lacks force of character and never insists on his wishes will fail, however grand his schemes.
Machiavelli Machiavelli described, in a letter to Vettori, how he moved from his daily work into his study and gained focus by sitting with the great minds of the past. Reading the old thinkers gave him the substance he wanted to write about.
Machiavelli wrote The Prince to set out how states are acquired, kept and lost, and he kept revising it instead of treating it as finished. His dedication shows that a clear, practical guide for a new leader can be worth offering to the powerful.
Machiavelli held that experience gained by watching others' mistakes is valuable, and that a person who has always kept faith should not find it hard to stay honest. He also argued that a long, patient study of practical affairs was worth more than leisure.
Machiavelli was a keen observer who turned his experience into writing, and his literary skill was stronger than his success in public affairs. Careful watching of how people actually behave is a useful habit for anyone.
Machiavelli held that men tend to see things as they wish them to be, and that those who ignore this are ruined. Looking at situations as they really are is a sound basis for any decision.
Machiavelli held that in politics there are no perfectly safe courses, so prudence means choosing the least dangerous one. Accepting that every choice carries some risk helps in running any business or organisation.
Machiavelli held that crimes may win an empire but do not win glory. Reputation built on fair dealing lasts longer than gains taken by cunning.
Machiavelli chose every word with care, and the translator held that a clear, exact rendering matters more than smooth modern phrasing, even if the result is a little rough.
Machiavelli held that the best gift to offer someone you want to impress is something you truly value, such as hard-won knowledge, offered plainly and without decoration so the substance does the work.
Machiavelli held that to understand the common people you must be one of them, and to understand rulers you must look at things from their side, much as a painter must stand low to see mountains and high to see plains.
Machiavelli held that a hereditary ruler has fewer difficulties than a new one, since long-established rule breeds goodwill and the memories that drive change fade over time.
Machiavelli warned that people often swap rulers hoping to do better, then find things worse, so a new leader makes enemies of those he hurt and cannot fully trust those who put him in power.
Machiavelli observed that a newly taken territory is harder to hold on a second takeover, because a ruler who regains it can punish plotters, remove suspects and shore up weak points.
Machiavelli advised that when new lands share the same language and customs, a conqueror should end the old ruling family and keep existing laws and taxes, so the lands soon become one body with the rest.
Machiavelli held that a ruler taking over a foreign land should live there himself, since problems are fixed quickly when seen early and the people then have a reason to love a ruler who is close at hand.
Machiavelli advised that harms done to people should be either small enough that they cannot take revenge or so severe that they cannot retaliate, because wronged people who are left with some power will strike back.
Machiavelli warned that a powerful outsider who is invited in by discontented locals will soon dominate, so a ruler should keep neighbours balanced and not let any rival grow strong enough to threaten him.
Machiavelli held that problems are cheap to fix when spotted early and become incurable once they have grown, so a wise leader deals with trouble before it arrives rather than waiting for it to come to a head.
Machiavelli held that a ruler who wants to hold a new territory should keep his allies secure and protected, since they are the support that keeps him safe against the powerful.
Machiavelli warned that helping a rival grow stronger, such as by enlarging another power's territory, weakens your own position and can force you into further mistakes.
Machiavelli held that wanting to gain is natural, but reaching beyond what you can actually manage is folly, so a ruler should act only within his real strength.
Machiavelli held that a blunder should never be made just to avoid a war, because the war is only postponed and will come back on worse terms.
Machiavelli held that whoever helps another become powerful is often ruined later, because the rising power comes to distrust the one who raised it.
Machiavelli saw two kinds of government: a ruler served by appointed ministers who owe everything to his favour, and a ruler sharing power with hereditary lords who hold their own standing and loyalty.
Machiavelli observed that a state run tightly from the top by appointed servants is hard to seize but easy to hold once conquered, since it has no rival centres of loyalty to rally against the conqueror.
Machiavelli warned that a state with many powerful local lords is easy to enter by winning over a discontented noble, but hard to keep, because the lords you crushed or relied on keep stirring up new trouble.
Machiavelli held that a conquest can be hard to keep when the conquered land is split into many separate parts, so the difficulty lies in the lack of unity rather than only in the conqueror's skill.
Machiavelli held that a city used to freedom is hard to hold, because its people never forget their liberties and will rally to them when they get the chance. Ruling through its own leaders is often the easier path.
Machiavelli held that a new leader who relies least on luck tends to stand the strongest. Opportunity matters, but it only pays off when paired with the ability to shape it.
Machiavelli held that a wise person should copy the paths of the great, aiming higher than the target so that even a shortfall still lands close to the mark.
Machiavelli held that great leaders often rise when circumstances are ready for them, and that their ability lies in seeing and seizing the opening. Hardship and disorder can create the chance for a capable person to act.
Machiavelli held that whoever introduces a new way of doing things makes enemies of those who did well under the old way, while the new arrangement gets only lukewarm support. Expect resistance from those who benefit from the status quo and doubt from those who are yet to be convinced.
Machiavelli held that people are easy to win over but hard to keep convinced, so a new plan needs a way to hold its supporters together when belief fades. Relying only on persuasion, without the means to back it up, tends to fail.
Machiavelli held that Hiero of Syracuse rose by ability and the trust of his people, then rebuilt the army and alliances on his own foundations. Building on your own strengths and resources makes what you have far easier to keep.
Machiavelli held that a ruler who rises by luck, through someone else's favour, often has little ability to command and no loyal forces of their own, so the rise is easy but the holding is hard.
Machiavelli observed that a sudden rise leaves shallow foundations, so a newcomer must lay the foundations that others would have laid before they got power, and lay them quickly.
Machiavelli held that a leader who builds foundations late can still succeed, but the work costs more trouble and carries more risk to the whole structure.
Machiavelli showed that Cesare Borgia's power collapsed because he relied on borrowed forces and the goodwill of others, and he concluded he must depend on his own arms rather than those of others.
Machiavelli held that a ruler who wins over the followers of rival factions, paying and honouring them, can turn their loyalty away from the factions and toward himself. Gaining people's adherents is often better than simply crushing them.
Machiavelli observed that a harsh agent can restore order, but a leader who wants to be loved should shift the blame for cruelty onto that agent and remove him. Public spectacle can satisfy and frighten people at the same time.
Machiavelli held that a leader must weigh his allies by their interests, since a powerful outside partner may not support him when it counts. Securing your own position before you need it is wiser than relying on others.
Machiavelli advised that a leader facing an uncertain future should prepare several defences in advance, so that he can withstand the first shock of a change in leadership. Strength of his own, not the luck or forces of others, is what keeps a position safe.
Machiavelli held that a well-laid foundation can keep a plan standing for a while, but a leader's own health and the fortunes of others can still undo everything. Plans need a backup for the leader's own failure.
Machiavelli praised the Duke's habit of acting boldly and deciding things with a clear aim in mind, noting that he could not have acted otherwise given his ambitions. Firm, far-reaching goals shape how a person has to act.
Machiavelli argued that people hurt others out of fear or hatred, so a leader should avoid choosing allies or successors whom they have wronged. Believing that new favours will erase old injuries is a costly mistake.
Machiavelli holds that cruelty, betrayal and lack of faith may win power but never glory, so a leader's methods are judged by more than whether they succeed.
Machiavelli argues that a rise built on hard steps, endured hardships and personal courage is earned by skill, not luck, and it is the leader's own ability that counts.
Machiavelli shows that a leader who gains power by treachery stays in danger, since his own cruelty makes enemies and he can be overreached by someone craftier.
Machiavelli notes that a trusted ally can turn on you at a dinner or meeting, so be wary of people who seem friendly while hiding a plan against you.
Machiavelli held that harsh measures are used well when they are applied all at once, are truly needed for security, and are not kept up afterwards. They go badly when they start small and grow over time.
Machiavelli advised that hard actions should be taken all at one time so people feel them less, while kindnesses should be spread out so they are enjoyed for longer. Delay leaves a leader with no room to soften later.
Machiavelli observed that in any community the powerful and the ordinary people want different things, and that a leader who rises with popular support usually stands on firmer ground than one lifted up by the elite.
