Niccolo Machiavelli is never quoted as saying “it is what it is” but I feel certain he would have embraced the phrase wholeheartedly.

Niccolo Machiavelli has been hammered for the last 500 years mostly because he recognized and wrote about the cold brutality of human nature, and in doing so, had that attribute transferred to him.

His frankness in describing strategy and tactics combined with his recommendations to princes marks him as someone willing to be ruthless in pursuing and maintaining power. A Prince, Machiavelli put forth, must do whatever is necessary; period. You will not find any altruism or idealism in Machiavelli’s teachings.

His insights can be discussed and taught in modern society but not all can be accepted as practical options by today’s societal standards.

Or can they?

Read the headlines: countries are invaded and territories gobbled up, governments are overthrown and their leaders toppled, sometimes killed, new managers come in and fire everybody that was part of the old guard, corporations will find any excuse to go back on their word.

The examples are endless. Consider quote #4: “A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.” Can you think of any recent examples in Government or Corporate America?

You may not necessarily consider what Machiavelli has written as an offensive playbook for your own circumstances, but it will at least give you situational awareness from a defensive perspective. There are people who have only their own interests at heart who care absolutely zero about your interests, as disappointing and shocking as that may be to some people.

Formatting “The Most Important 200 Quotes?” was a different challenge than the process I used with Sun Tzu’s “The Art Of War” or Napoleon Hill’s “Think And Grow Rich.” Pulling the quotes out of context left them as confusing and/or subject to misinterpretation. My solution was to have two parts to the book. The first part is “The Most Important 200 Quotes?” generally attributed to Machiavelli for your review. The second part includes the entire original text with the “Most Important Quotes”? from that work both highlighted and numbered within the complete text.

This serves three advantages. You can read the quotes by themselves, you can read the highlighted quotes within the original text, or, you can read the original supporting text to see the words in context. There is one more advantage; reading the quotes first will make reading the entire text significantly easier.

I would never infer that there is superfluous content in one of the greatest classics ever that has stood the test of half a millennium of time. But the reality is a lot of people start “The Prince” and don’t finish it. It can be a difficult read and in today’s time-crunched world we want things served up to us in as efficient a manner as possible. I think you will surprise yourself after reading through the quotes two or three times. They transform into a more understandable message and the complete text becomes more readable. Don’t give up on this important content too early in the process.

It is well known and documented that “The Prince” has influenced many of the most well known names in history. It is an important book that should be read and belongs in your library.

Enjoy, succeed, and best wishes for success.

Roth Stanton

The Prince, The Prince Machiavelli, Hardcover, Kindle, The Art Of War, The Discourses, House of Medici, Renaissance,