The Prince

Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513. His advice is as valuable today as it was at the time the book was written. The link will take you to an online copy which you may read at your convenience.

There are many quotes which have come out of this book, some more famous than others. Some are paraphrased and attributed to Machiavelli.

How does this apply to the preparedness minded?


"Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great. "

If you prepare now, whatever calamity befalls you, it will seem minor compared to what it could have been if you had not prepared.

"There is no avoiding war, it can only be postponed to the advantage of your enemy."

Time. It is such a precious commodity. One that can not be bottled and saved for a time of need. It can not be recycled, reclaimed, or reused. You must take advantage of it here. Now. While it is fresh. I think Machiavelli was not just referring to armed conflict. I think he was referring to any situation where it is you against something. Hunger. Thirst. Disease. The Forces of Nature. The Evils of Man. Use the time you have now to prepare, lest your "enemy" take advantage of your poor use of time and lay you low.

"Among other evils which being unarmed brings you, it causes you to be despised."

No one likes a weakling in intellect, or deed. Sharpen your skills, and your mind. Maintain your weapons. That includes the most dangerous weapon of all. The human mind.

"Hence it comes that all armed prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed prophets have been destroyed."

What more can anyone add to this? It's true. Take the warning for what it is.


"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."

We are governed by fools. People will point at the self serving awards and degrees heaped upon those in office, and say "Oh, isn't he ever so smart!" Don't make the mistake of confusing smart, witty, clever, or shrewd with intelligence. The degrees hanging on their walls were generated by parroting the line of their liberal professors and faculty advisors. It was the smart thing to do, if they wanted their sheepskin. The awards were given by the sheep to the sheep for being the best sheep in the flock. Few have ever labored in our world. The "real world". Not their rarefied social strata. Do not trust them. Do not believe their words.

"God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us. "

If you had everything handed to you, would you value it? Would you take pride in it? Would it have meaning, more than just the dollars spent? Will you stand in the cold waiting for the meager government handouts of food? Or will you be at home, safe and warm, happy with yourself for your hard work and foresight in setting aside for yourself and your family?

Your choice. My advice is to listen to Machiavelli. He's been beaten up fairly badly by liberal thinkers over the centuries, and they've tried to make the term "Machiavellian" a pejorative term.

Take the time to read The Prince and see if you don't agree with his advice.