... War is the sole art looked for in one who rules...

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

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

The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.

God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.

Is it better to be loved or feared?

In conclusion, the arms of others either fall from your back, or they weigh you down, or they bind you fast.

Wisdom consists of knowing how to distinguish the nature of trouble, and in choosing the lesser evil.

It is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to necessity.

There are many who think a wise prince ought, when he has the chance, to foment astutely some enmity, so that by suppressing it he will augment his greatness.

Armour belonging to someone else either chops off you or weighs you down or is too tight

Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high, look it quarely in the eye and say, 'I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.

I couldn't blame anyone for what was in me, because I am, like everyone, populated entirely by myself.

The prickly thorn often bears soft roses.

My political sentiments inclined toward the left and emphasized the socialist aspects every bit as much as nationalist ones.

I always tell people that if you really want to know somebody, they should listen to that person's interview with me. I spend a lot of time with my guests.

It is a general principle of human nature, that a man will be interested in whatever he possesses, in proportion to the firmness or precariousness of the tenure by which he holds it.

I do not believe in objects. I believe only in their relationships.

I'm happier than a tornado in a trailer park.

The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior fights is to win

The whole body of the arts and sciences composes one vast machinery for the irritation and development of the human intellect.