A prince should only take and listen to the advice of his advisors - Able to understand things independently - Try to balance being loved and being feared (if it is not possible for the two to coincide then the latter is preferable) - He must make it his first priority to escape the hatred of the most powerful parties - Princes become great by defeating opposition - He should honor his word - Promises are not important when the grounds of the promise are no longer relevant or if the promise is holding the prince back - Princes achieve the most success when they are crafty, cunning, and able to trick others. - A prince must have no other objective, no other thought, nor take up any profession but that of war - A prince's priority is to safeguard the state, even if this means possessing some negative qualities - A prince should not concern himself with living virtuously, but rather with acting so as to achieve the most practical benefit. - Above all, princes should win a reputation for being men of outstanding ability - A prince's best defense is his own valor - Times and circumstances change, so a prince must adjust to them in order to remain successful
