Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes

From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both: but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.

My view is that it is desirable to be both loved and feared; but it is difficult to achieve both and, if one of them has to be lacking, it is much safer to be feared than loved.

It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.

People with real power never fear of losing it. People with control think of little else.

It is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved? It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both: but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.

To be feared is much safer then to be loved.

In order to obtain and hold power, a man must love it.

I am a collaborator with everyone who agrees that I need to be in control. I happily collaborate with my loyalists.

Bad leaders believe that they have to project control at all times.

I run a tight ship, but I try and make it seem like I'm not doing that at all.

Machiavelli taught me it was better to be feared than loved. Because if you are loved they sense you might be weak. I am a man of the people and help them but it is important to do so through strength.

It is much safer to obey than to rule.

The man whose authority is recent is always stern.

It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.

If you've experienced having control, you don't want to be moved to a subordinate position, if you have your druthers.

Even military juntas want respect.

Politics is the art of dominating men.

In conspiracies, men who know what they wanted commonly ended by controlling the men who did not.

Arab governments, at the end of the day, care most about remaining in power.

The people always have some champion who they set over them and nurse into greatness …. This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears, he is a protector.

We are defined by how we use our power.

To be frank, politics is about wanting power, getting it, exercising it, and keeping it.

Politics is power, and communications is power,

Taking power is fine. But what do you do when you are in power?

I've always found that you can control people better if you don't see too much of them.