Nikhil 's Key Ideas from The Prince
by Niccolo Machiavelli

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.

Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.

All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively.

Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.

Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch.

It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.

How we live is so different from how we ought to live that he who studies what ought to be done rather than what is done will learn the way to his downfall rather than to his preservation.

Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.

A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent.

There is nothing more important than appearing to be religious.

Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.

Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.

A wise ruler should rely on what is under his own control, not on what is under the control of others.

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.

It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.

War should be the only study of a prince; he should consider peace only as a breathing-time.

Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.