“All who contribute to the overthrow of religion, or to the ruin of kingdoms and commonwealths, all who are foes to letters and to the arts which confer honour and benefit on the human race (among whom I reckon the impious, the cruel, the ignorant, the indolent, the base and the worthless), are held in infamy and detestation.” He had no use for ignorance, stupidity and laziness, either. Machiavelli had no use for tyrants who pursued needless cruelty to subjugate a people or get their own way.
#In the prince machiavelli advises rulers to full
“It is impossible for the new prince to avoid the reputation of cruelty, because new states are full of dangers.” You can’t make omelets without breaking a few eggs whatever you do will offend someone, and newcomers have to make a lot of omelets to establish their position and reputation, so just get cracking: Newcomers, adds Machiavelli, will have a difficult time avoiding the reputation of being cruel because they were elected to make changes and changes are never easy. Ogyu Sorai: Master Sorai’s Responsals, 1720 “It is precisely because the status of rulers and subjects is different that pampering the people always causes so much harm.” Overindulgence in either encourages disruption in the state. Mercy, or compassion, is as easy to overuse as is cruelty, as we saw in Chapter 8, or generosity in Chapter 14. Like generosity in Chapter 16, in order to keep up a reputation for clemency, you have to keep showing it more and more often or people will see you as indifferent, mean and even tyrannical. Once you start giving, people expect more gifts, not fewer. Good people are often compassionate, but not strong. It only affects the individual, but the entire population gets the message. These harm the whole people, while those executions he ordered offend only the individual.”Ī single act of punishment or dismissal is a combination of economy and effectiveness. “With a few exemplary executions, he will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise, from which follow murders or robberies. These select examples only hurt the one who gets the axe, not the general population: A few sharp examples of well-used cruelty or meanness, as he described in Chapter 8, are all that is necessary no need to overdo it.
People always want more generosity, but since they never want more discipline, a little is all it takes to avoid chaos and restore order. You can afford having a reputation for a little cruelty and meanness if it keeps people secure and the streets safe. Would voters rather you cut back the policing budget and put fewer officers on the street, or cut the parks and rec budget and mow the grass less often? A ruler is not the people’s model for virtue, but rather the one who maintains order. Why? Because rulers often show too much compassion, and in the end that causes turmoil, disorder and more problems, says Machiavelli. “So long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal, a prince ought not to mind gaining the reputation for cruelty…” If you’re doing good things for your municipality but being tough about it, writes Machiavelli in Chapter XVII: Concerning Cruelty and Clemency, and Whether it is Better to be Loved Than Feared, don’t worry about others seeing you as cruel and heartless. “Take care not to misuse this compassion.” Like the mantra of real estate – “location, location, location” – politicians should consider “reputation, reputation, reputation.” But, warns Machiavelli, don’t go overboard: “Every prince ought to desire to be considered compassionate and not cruel.” We want photographs and news stories to capture us helping people, serving the community, reaching out, smiling as we hand over the cheque to the local charity. Sure, every politician wants to be popular we want to be seen as a friendly, generous, considerate, thoughtful, accessible, caring and compassionate.
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