"If you only notice human proceedings, you..." - Quote by Niccolo Machiavelli
If you only notice human proceedings, you may observe that all who attain great power and riches, make use of either force or fraud; and what they have acquired either by deceit or violence, in order to conceal the disgraceful methods of attainment, they endeavor to sanctify with the false title of honest gains.
More by Niccolo Machiavelli
“You know better than I that in a Republic talent is always suspect. A man attains an elevated position only when his mediocrity prevents him from being a threat to others. And for this reason a democracy is never governed by the most competent, but rather by those whose insignificance will not jeopardize anyone else's self-esteem.”
“Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves”
“For this is the tragedy of man circumstances change, but he does not.”
More on Power
“Peace, like war, can succeed only where there is a will to enforce it, and where there is available power to enforce it.”
“Who can attain to anything great if he does not feel in himself the force and will to inflict great pain? The ability to suffer is a small matter: in that line, weak women and even slaves often attain masterliness. But not to perish from internal distress and doubt when one inflicts great suffering and hears the cry of it that is great, that belongs to greatness.”
“I am not invested with dictatorial powers. If I were, I should be quite ready to dictate.”
More on Wealth
“The way to wealth is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality: that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality nothing will do, and with them everything.”
“He is the rich man, and enjoys the fruit of his riches, who summer and winter forever can find delight in his own thoughts.”
“Wealth can't buy heath, but heath can buy wealth.”