Quotes

“The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“For among other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible; which is one of those disgraceful things which a prince must guard against.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“To understand the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to understand the nature of the prince, one must be of the people.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“Benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“War is just when it is necessary; arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“Severities should be dealt out all at once, so that their suddenness may give less offense; benefits ought to be handed ought drop by drop, so that they may be relished the more.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“Tardiness often robs us opportunity, and the dispatch of our forces.” Niccolo Machiavelli

“You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once but don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” Michelle Obama

“One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don't invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.” Michelle Obama

“We learned about honesty and integrity - that the truth matters... that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules... and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square.” Michelle Obama

“The truth is, in order to get things like universal health care and a revamped education system, then someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more.” Michelle Obama

“Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if we're scurrying to and from appointments and errands, we don't have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own 'to do' list.” Michelle Obama

“For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction.” Michelle Obama

“My mother's love has always been a sustaining force for our family, and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassion, her intelligence reflected in my daughters.” Michelle Obama

“And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values, like you work hard for what you want in life. That your word is your bond; that you do what you say you're going to do. That you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them and even if you don't agree with them.” Michelle Obama

“We can make a commitment to promote vegetables and fruits and whole grains on every part of every menu. We can make portion sizes smaller and emphasize quality over quantity. And we can help create a culture - imagine this - where our kids ask for healthy options instead of resisting them.” Michelle Obama

“I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity.” Michelle Obama