3. [DISCLAIMER] Some see Machiavelli as the founder of a new, objective science of politics , concerned not with what should be, but with what is , not with hopes and fears, but with practical realities.
4. [DISCLAIMER] … a description of what men do, and not what they ought to do. (Francis Bacon)
5. There is a general rule to be noted: 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.
7. We have to distinguish between cruelty well used and cruelty abused .
8. The conclusion is: when you take control of a state, you should make a list of all the crimes you have to commit and do them all at once. (That way you do not have to commit new atrocities every day.)
10. Since it is very difficult to be both loved and feared, I maintain it is much safer to be feared than loved
11. Men are quicker to forget the death of their father than the Loss of their inheritance
12. Because you cannot always win if you respect the rules, you must be prepared to break them
13. Rulers should delegate responsibility for unpopular actions, while taking personal responsibility for those that will win favor
14. It is better to be headstrong than cautious, for fortune is a lady . It is necessary if you want to master her, to beat and strike her. Moreover, since she is a lady, she smiles on the young , for they are less cautious, more ruthless, and overcome her with their boldness.