Machiavelli - the prince

3 types of brains

1. the one that understands things unassisted

2. the one that understands things when shown by others

3. the one that understands neither unassisted or when shown by others

the first two are good, but third is useless

a prince has to be able to make good judgement to rule

the role of fortune

a prince needs both fortune and his own good skills to maintain status

fortune controls half of our lives, our own choices effect the other half

the role of fortune and opportunity

it is not the fortune that people should be thankful for, but the opportunity that gave them the ability and chance to show their strengths. Without this opportunity, their strengths would be wasted.

when should a prince keep his word

a good prince would break his word as soon as it goes against his best interest and puts him at a disadvantage.

he could also break it if the reasons he made his initial promise no longer exist

when should a prince be cruel and is it better to be feared or loved

a prince should only be cruel when it is necessary or when commanding his army

a prince must strive to be both loved and feared. If he cannot attain both it is better to be feared, but it is important that the people only fear you and don’t end up hating you.

what advice does Machiavelli have for choosing ministers and avoiding flatterers

A good minister should never think of his own interest, he should only think of the best interest of the prince. They should be wise, but not smart enough to overtake the prince

People will naturally flatter a prince in order to get closer to his wealth and status. a prince avoids flatterers by only taking truth and advice when he asks for it and from trusted people. He should discourage attempts to advise him unless he asks for it, but he should also be good at asking and listening to the truth of the things he asked about.