It is better to be impetuous than cautious, because fortune is a woman. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? The original quote says much about the treatment of women in that age. The explanation of impetuous (later in the paragraph) was more about what we would call mistreatment and domination, rather than what is presently considered…
It is the debtor that is ruined by hard times. – Rutherford B. Hayes What does that mean? This is another Twitter-friendly quote which has been shortened from the original: “Let every man, every corporation, and especially let every village, town, and city, every county and State, get out of debt and keep out of debt. It…
He who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? Back in the day when Machiavelli was writing, there were plenty of others who were trying to sell their services as political analysts. They were trying to advise the Princes on…
Riches do not exhilarate us so much with their possession as they torment us with their loss. – Epicurus What does that mean? I love this quote, as it is all about attachment and the fear of loss. If you are desperate to keep what you have, what do you really have? If this fear…
First feelings are always the most natural. – Louis XIV What does that mean? This is so true, in my experience. Be it emotional, intellectual, or social, the first feeling has always been my greatest ally. Before I learned to trust it, I frequently goofed things up by second-guessing myself. Now I know better, and…
There are two methods of fighting, the one by law, the other by force: the first method is that of men, the second of beasts. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? This is another Twitter-friendly quote. The more complete version is : “You must know there are two ways of contesting, the one by the law,…
… and if indeed sometimes I happen to tell the truth, I hide it among so many lies that it is hard to find. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? This is a twitter friendly version of a longer quote: “For a long time I have not said what I believed nor do I ever…
The innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? This quote is about the difficulties faced by a new ruler. With a new ruler come new rules, and the status quo is overturned. Those who have been doing well, the quote says, are going…
Fortune sides with him who dares. – Virgil What does that mean? This is definitely not a quote for the timid. This is about taking charge of your future, it’s about making things happen, it’s about getting things done. Think about what happens if you sit there and wait for something to happen. What usually…
Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition. – Adam Smith What does that mean? For me, this quote speaks of science and it’s role in helping keep humanity sane. Before science was established as a proper method to use when approaching life’s mysteries, enthusiasm and superstition (as well as emotional excess)…
The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? Here, the word ‘vulgar’ is used to imply a lack of refinement and sophistication in the people making up the bulk of the population. Restating the quote, it becomes “The unsophisticated people are always…
Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? This may come as somewhat shocking to some people, and painfully obvious to many others. Anyone who has been following the violence by the Syrian government against it’s own people knows exactly what this quote means. For those…
One must emulate both the fox and the lion, because a lion cannot defy a snare, while a fox cannot defy a pack of wolves. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? This is another Twitter shortened quote, which is stated more completely as: “A Prince must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot…
Everybody wants to do something to help, but nobody wants to be first. – Pearl Bailey What does that mean? How often have you seen it in movies, someone is on the ground and a crowd of people surround them. Yet everyone hesitates. No one approaches, they all just look. Who will be the first to step into the circle and approach the person on the ground? The…
Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? In this statement to the Princes of Renaissance Italy, the point is that their subjects are fairly simple folk. Their primary focus is their needs, such as food,…
