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In the game of life, those who doesn't know the rules become spectadors, thouse who understand them and apply them, become the main characters of the world.
KEY INSIGHT: Get apart from all ilussion, open your eyes, see and accept the reality. No matter how tough it is.
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KEY INSIGHT: The greater your understanding of something, less failures and frustrations you will have.
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"He who despises the real world to live in an imaginary world, will find his ruin rather than his salvation."
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Nothing that happens is completely good or bad. If you pay a closer look to it you'll find an advantage even in the things you see as bad.
KEY INSIGHT: Nothing's completely good or bad. Learn how to taka advantage of anything.
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"The man who wants to practice kindness everytime, he does is fated to ruin himself among so many others who are perverse and evil."
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Luck's just like a river that in flood seasons destroys everything around it, but if you prepare canals and dams, you will be able to reduce it's momentum.
KEY INSIGHT: Our luck comes from our ability to combine our action with what the particularities of the moment require.
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"If a prince acts cautiously and patiently, and if at that moment the circumstances call for caution and patience, he will succeed. But if circumstances change requiring quick decisions and action, and he continues to act cautiously, he will surely be destroyed. It only happens because he didn't change his ways when circumstances changed."
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"Ideas, rules and principles only serve as tools, which if not used in the right context are useless and can sometimes even work against you."
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KEY INSIGHT: Plan all the way to the end. Be prepared for changes and worst scenarios.
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"A wise prince must have the ability to foresee future circumstances and, if need be, prevent them with the utmost skill. A prince shouldn't allow events to unfold on their own and then try to correct them. It's necessary to cut out the cancer early on."
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KEY INSIGHT: The greatness of someone comes from their great feats.
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"Nothing bestows a prince with greater prestige than accomplishing great works and serving himself as a rare model for his people."
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KEY INSIGHT: Allies're very important, as long as the prince's forces doesn't come from them.
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"Whenever you draw on others strength to face your adversities or enemies, those forces will slip out of your body, weigh heavily on you you or restrict the use of your own strength."
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If two powerful friends of a prince clash, and they're also his rivals, whose strength is such that the victor may or not be feared by him. It's best for him to take a side and state his position clearly.
In that context. If you're neutral, you will be the victor's pray and still not have the vanquished's help.
KEY INSIGHT: If you want to build an alliance with someone, help them when they need you.
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"A winner doesn't want suspicious allies whom he can't rely on in times of adversity."
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KEY INSIGHT: The first impression of a leader's intelligence results from observing those around him.
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There're actually three types of intellect.
That last one, you should keep away from yourself.
KEY INSIGHT: Keep away the dumbs, lazy and the useless. A rotten apple can infect and corrupt the all the fruit basket.
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The reputation of generous can be a positive factor, but generosity can get you into huge trouble. If you want to be widely known as generous, you will have to spend a lot, and soon you'll run out of resources.
KEY INSIGHT: It brings more honor and respect to a prince to use his resources to accomplish great works, than to burn them through generosity.
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There're two ways of fighting, one by law, more appropriate for humans, the other by force, more appropriate for animals. Sometimes you will be forced to use the animal way.
KEY INSIGHT: A prince must adopt both the qualities of the lion and the fox, power and cunning, to defend himself against wolves and to escape the traps.
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Considering that individuals are often false and don't keep their promises to the prince, he's also not obliged to keep promises he made to them. Thus, a wise prince can't and shouldn't keep his promise when:
KEY INSIGHT: Be righteous, but if necessary, act in the opposite way. The conning fox hidden in a righteous lion skin.
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KEY INSIGHT: You can be kind, but don't allow indicipline and disrespect.
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KEY INSIGHT: Love's maintained by bonds of obligation, and these bonds tend to be severed as soon as threats to self-interest arise. So be loved and still be feared.
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KEY INSIGHT: Even if you are not loved, don't be hated.
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KEY INSIGHT: To don't be hated, respect your people's pockets and rights. To don't be despised, don't show weakness.
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KEY INSIGH: To be loved, first love. Who loves always cares.
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"Love, surround yourself with friends and be loyal, but always keep an eye out. Have a firm stance based above all on mutual respect. Your posture directly affects how you will be treated by others."
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KEY INSIGHT: That kind of person someday will fall, and when they fall, they will never get up to power again.
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When a prince gains power by luck:
KEY INSIGHT: A prince that appears suddenly, like all things in nature that evolve in a hurry, has no roots and is sure to be destroyed in the first storm.
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"No matter how you reach the top, the fact's that the post of leader will require the ability to solve many challenges."
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He who desires power must master the art of competition.
KEY INSIGHT: Just like a commander can't fail to be concerned with the art of war and practice it, both in peace and in conflict, those who desire power can't let their guard down, both in times of prosperity and hard times.
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"A passive leader can't command active and power-hungry people. If a prince settles down and becomes passive, the power will follow it's course and put another on his throne."
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They who want to maintain themselves secure should adopt two habits
KEY INSIGHT: Keep your eyes open. Study the acts of the mighties, and try to apply their wisdom in your daily life.
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"A wise prince must analyze the paths already trodden by greatests and follow the example of those who were the best. Even if it isn't possible to faithfully follow their steps or reach their skill, there's always a lot to be gained with their experiences."
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The first's difficult to conquer given the union, but once the ruler's defeated, anyone will have the power to recompose. The second's easier to infiltrate, however difficult to maintain in control, because among the leaders, several candidates emerge to take the ruler's throne.
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There's nothing more difficult, nor with doubtful success, nor dangerous than to implement changes that affect the customs and traditions of the people.
KEY INSIGHT: If the leader's not careful when wielding that double-edged sword, they could end up getting hurt. Thus, know very well what you're doing.
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To implement changes, the first step's to examine your circumstances.
KEY INSIGHT: The prince who doesn't depend on anyone, that one can indeed succeed in making changes if he knows what he's doing.
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To implement changes on the customs of a group or team:
It's easy to convince the people of something, but it's difficult to establish them into it.
KEY INSIGHT: The prince who wants to implement changes must be able to when the people lose their motivation, make them persist with discipline and force.
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Both of them, when changing rulers in an attempt to improve, often perceive that they have gotten worse.
KEY INSIGHT: When assuming power, a leader will have as opponents his natural enemies and also those who put him there.
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"There're two ways to conquer a state, by the will of the people or by the grace of the mighty."
"Thouse who attains power the second way maintain themselves with greater difficulty than the other, since he is surrounded by many people who seem the same to him and to whom he owes favors."
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The two main reasons that lead leaders to lose their power.
Princes who lose their posts after many years in power can't accuse bad luck as the reason for this loss. They must recognize that what led them to failure was their own incompetence.
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"To keep in power, a wise prince must be careful about two things, to don't provoke the powerful and great to dissatisfaction and to satisfy and content the people."
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How do some individuals commit so many betrayals and cruelties still managing to stay in power?The answer to that lies in which way cruelty is used.
KEY INSIGHT: Only use severe measures when it's really necessary and turn their benefits in advantage to the people.
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Therefore, it's prudent to say that:
KEY INSIGHT: The bitter poison must be applied in a single dose, so that its bitterness is felt for as little time as possible. good works, sweet as honey, must be applied slowly, so that their sweet taste lasts longer.
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"It's the nature of things, when you try to solve a problem you always create another. The wisdom of a prince lies in knowing the nature of problems and adopting the least harmful solution as the good one."
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It's important to keep in mind:
KEY INSIGHT: If you're a new prince, you have an advantage above the elders, use it and do great feats as quickly possible.
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In the beginning of his reign the prince needs to implement changes in order to achieve great things.
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"The difficulties, wars and battles faced on the path to ascension, and the immense effort to overcome obstacles along the journey to power, provide you with the necessary experience to reach power and keep it with ease."
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"Machiavelli, pretending to give advices to princes, gave great lessons to the people."
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IDEAS CURATED BY
Brazilian, I learned english on my own. My aim here's to improve my writing and sharing knowledge from books.
CURATOR'S NOTE
How to understand the hidden rules of the world, to manipulate and not be manipuladed. 32 lessons and 18 quotes, fulled of ancient wisdom, extracted from The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli.
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Different Perspectives Curated by Others from The Prince
Curious about different takes? Check out our book page to explore multiple unique summaries written by Deepstash curators:
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