Brendan’s Reviews > The Prince > Status Update
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“Men are less nervous of offending someone who makes himself lovable than someone who makes himself frightening. For love attaches men by ties of obligation, which, since men are wicked, they break whenever their interests are at stake. But fear restrains men because they are afraid of punishment, and this fear never leaves them. Still, a ruler should make himself feared in such a way that, if he does not inspire
— 8 hours, 38 min ago
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Brendan
is on page 35 of 83
“It is in men’s nature to feel as obliged by the good they do to others, as by the good others do to them.”
— May 20, 2026 09:10PM
Brendan
is on page 31 of 83
“For if the elite fear they will be unable to control the populace, they begin to build up the reputation of one of their own, and they make him sole ruler in order to be able, under his protection, to achieve their objectives. The populace, on the other hand, if they fear they are going to be crushed by the elite, build up the reputation of one of their number and make him sole ruler in order that his authority
— May 19, 2026 09:29PM
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8 hours, 36 min ago
inspire love, at least he does not provoke hatred. For it is perfectly possible to be feared and not hated. [] Above all, keep your hands off other people’s property; for men are quicker to forget the death of their father than the loss of their inheritance.”
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It occurs to me, reading the full famous passage about it being “safer to be feared than loved,” that the connotations of ‘fear’ might warp popular understanding of what Machiavelli means. Perhaps “awe” is a better way to think of it: the sovereign should be “awesome” in the old Biblical sense of the word, akin to God of the Old Testament
Even in this infamous section, Machiavelli is so much more nuanced than is often portrayed. Ideal rulers will be both loved and feared. ‘Fear’ must be careful not to provoke hatred, and it must be obtained in service of stability and order in the state rather than capriciously. M was certainly not advocating for a modern totalitarian state, which he would’ve undoubtedly seen as foolish and self-defeating. I’m really looking forward to reading the Discorsi, which is his more sophisticated work.
