With everything happening in the world right now, I kept hearing people mention The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli. So I finally picked it up, partly out of curiosity, partly because the title keeps resurfacing in political conversations.

Florence has always been one of my favorite cities that I have ever visited. Rich in culture, wrapped in Renaissance atmosphere, and deeply connected with the history of the Medici family. So imagine my surprise when the book started with the story of Machiavelli’s own political career. He worked in government from 1498 to 1512, only for it to end abruptly in disgrace: arrested, imprisoned, and dismissed. During this forced exile, he wrote The Prince, dedicating it to Lorenzo de’ Medici in hopes of winning his way back into political life. To put it simply, the book is a political advice manual, like a guide for rulers on how to gain power, hold onto it, and keep their states stable.

Like many classics, even though it was written centuries ago, some of Machiavelli’s ideas still echo strongly today. The Prince examines why states rise and fall, and the strategies leaders use to protect their power. What struck me most is how focused he is on how society actually works rather than how we wish it would work.

One passage that I read repeatedly was this:

So a Prince need to take care never to let escape from his lips anything contrary to these 5 qualities, seeming always to be compassionate, faithful, honest, humane, and religious. Nothing is more important than to seem to be religious. Men judge more by appearances than by deeds. Everyone can see what you seem to be; few can judge what you actually are. Those few do not dare to oppose the majority, who control the state that defends them. Men’s actions, and those of Princess, have no other tribunal or appeal. Judgement is final. So a Prince dissimilates to win and maintain the state. Some Princess of today, whom it is well not to name, preach nothing but peace and good faith, but despise both. Had they respected peace and good faith they would have lost both their reputations and their states.

It’s wild how accurately he captures human behavior in a society in just a few lines. The idea that appearances matter more than actions, how people judge quickly and rarely dig deeper. It feels familiar, even now.

My main challenge with this book comes from my limited knowledge of Italian political history. Machiavelli constantly references real rulers and events, and since I wasn’t familiar with them, I often couldn’t tell the accuracy. I imagine this book would be even more enjoyable for readers who already know these historical figures. In addition, the language is dense and occasionally intimidating, which makes sense once you remember this book was written more than 500 years ago.

Still, I pushed through because I found myself enjoying and checking how far humanity has come, and unfortunately, in some ways, how little we’ve changed. Realizing how similar we still are to the people of 500 years ago is both fascinating and a little heartbreaking. It makes me reflect on how slowly human nature evolves, could not keep up with how fast the world around us changes.

My Favorite Bits

• Although crimes may win an empire, they do not win glory

• Realized that happiness is attainable only when governors lead the governed in an atmosphere of harmony and balance.

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Author: Niccolò Machiavelli
Publication date: 1 January 1513
Number of pages: 144 pages

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