"Men walk almost always in the paths..." - Quote by Niccolo Machiavelli
Men walk almost always in the paths trodden by others, proceeding in their actions by imitation.
More by Niccolo Machiavelli
“For the mob is always impressed by appearances and by results, and the world is composed of the mob.”
“They have not any difficulties on the way up because they fly, but they have many when they reach the summit.”
“it is much safer to be feared than loved because ...love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.”
More on Human Nature
“The purpose of punishment is to improve those who do the punishing--that is the final recourse of those who support punishment.”
“As soon as any one is near me, his personality disturbs my self-complacency and restricts my freedom. In twenty-four hours I begin to hate the best of men: one because he's too long over his dinner; another because he has a cold and keeps on blowing his nose. I become hostile to people the moment they come close to me. But it has always happened that the more I detest men individually the more ardent becomes my love for humanity.”
“After my marriage she edited everything I wrote. And what is more, she not only edited my works, she edited me.”