Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes

Only strength can cooperate. Weakness can only beg.

In politics and in trade, bruisers and pirates are of better promise than talkers and clerks.

It's important to keep your power and not give it up.

Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.

People buy into my agenda. I don't buy into anyone's agenda.

Never ask for anything! Never for anything, and especially from those who are stronger than you. They'll make the offer themselves, and give everything themselves.

One either imposes one's ideas or one is imposed on.

You shouldn’t act as a spokesperson for someone who’s trying to impose his will on you.

Please don't intervene. Please leave us alone. It is my job and we can cope with this matter. We are trying to explain this to foreigners. But if they do not understand or ignore our explanation, I don't care because we are not begging them for food.

What I have learned about Afghanistan is that force carries more weight than anything else.

If you've got 'em by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.

People may oppose you, but when they realize you can hurt them, they'll join your side.

Soft power … cannot accomplish much in the absence of a willingness to use hard power.

In domestic politics, presidents rarely wield independent power; what they wield is influence. Power is the capacity to make people do what you want them to do; influence is the ability to make them want what you want, at least temporarily.

I have no delusions about my likability in every scenario. I know that in order to get things done the way you want them, oftentimes your position will be unpopular.

Get me inside any boardroom and I'll get any decision I want.

The person who needs the other person the least in a relationship is the stronger member.

Everybody, to some extent, manipulates. Even children learn to cry when they want something. There are all kinds of subtle things we do to get others to follow our lead, not bother us, and so on.

No matter how much control you have or how much confidence, it's always in someone else's hands, all the time. That's the scariest thing about this industry. It's so political.

I don't feel like I'm influenced by anybody, but I feel I'm definitely becoming more a leader.

Walk softly and carry a big stick. Or stomp loudly and carry enough firepower to start a small war. Whatever worked

Choices always were a problem for you. What you need is someone strong to guide you. Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow, what you need is someone strong to use you - like me.

In the general course of human nature, A power over a man's subsistence amounts to a power over his will.

To persuade is more trouble than to dominate, and the powerful seldom take this trouble if they can avoid it.

You can maintain power over people, as long as you give them something. Rob a man of everything, and that man will no longer be in your power.