Niccolo Machiavelli II

Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.

If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.

Never was anything great achieved without danger.

The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.

There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

It is much safer to be feared than loved because ...love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.

I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.

People should either be caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage they will get their revenge; but if you cripple them there is nothing they can do. If you need to injure someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.