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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Fairly accessible for a piece of political theory... I can't say I agree entirely with where he's coming from, but it's certainly interesting for its historical value.
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
dark
fast-paced
informative
tense
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
When you step out into the world, you leave behind your small, safe space and enter a realm filled with all kinds of people. If you're surrounded by power-hungry individuals, reading this book is essential. Friends can turn into enemies, and those who flatter you may be plotting behind your back.
Personally, I have no desire to gain power or deceive anyone—but I also don’t want to be deceived or betrayed.
As Machiavelli says, “He who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.”
Still, it’s worth knowing who your friends are and who your enemies might be. In fact, Machiavelli makes a great point: enemies can often be more trustworthy than friends. I’ve seen that play out in real life. Using his insights, I tried playing a little with the people around me, and quite frankly, it worked. You can make people dance with just your words.
But here's the thing—none of it really matters. In the end, we all die. Nothing lasts forever. It’s all meaningless.
For me, the fun lies in doing the opposite of what this book advises: openly challenging power-hungry individuals and watching them fume as they plot their revenge.
Personally, I have no desire to gain power or deceive anyone—but I also don’t want to be deceived or betrayed.
As Machiavelli says, “He who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.”
Still, it’s worth knowing who your friends are and who your enemies might be. In fact, Machiavelli makes a great point: enemies can often be more trustworthy than friends. I’ve seen that play out in real life. Using his insights, I tried playing a little with the people around me, and quite frankly, it worked. You can make people dance with just your words.
But here's the thing—none of it really matters. In the end, we all die. Nothing lasts forever. It’s all meaningless.
For me, the fun lies in doing the opposite of what this book advises: openly challenging power-hungry individuals and watching them fume as they plot their revenge.
My rating is not a reflection of Machiavelli's work—because that sure as hell isn't my place to judge—it's merely a reflection of my inability to comprehend 16th century political treatises, and my regret that we went with a very "hey this isn't a normal book" book choice for book club.
I'm still a little confused on if we're pro vs con on being nice to our subjects, but my major takeaway actually comes from one of Michael Scott's greatest quotes on The Office,
"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me."
I'm still a little confused on if we're pro vs con on being nice to our subjects, but my major takeaway actually comes from one of Michael Scott's greatest quotes on The Office,
"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me."