Steve L. Edwards

Those of you who have known me over the years are aware that I’m no scholar. My schooling is slight, and my exposure to great works of history is small–but growing slowly. Over the last year in particular, my hunger for understanding history and ancient wisdom has been insatiable. Nothing is better than reading something that broadens my understand of life and living.

It was in this quest, that I picked up “The Prince” by Machiavelli a few weeks ago. What was it about this sixteenth century man that has caused an entire mentality to be named after him? What does it mean when someone is called “Machiavellian”, and is it a bad thing?

The first quote that grabbed me was actually Machiavelli quoting Dante: “Knowledge doth come of learning well retained, Unfruitful else.” To me that said that all the reading in the world is worthless, if you don’t take the time to ponder it and apply it to yourself. So what kind of wisdom did I get from “The Prince” that I wanted to retain?

Machiavelli on Self Reliance

• He who has relied least on fortune is established the strongest. In other words, make your own luck. My blog on Ludlum’s “Ambler Warning” talked a little about his discourse on probability. Thinking you’re “unlucky” is more a misunderstanding of how the laws of probability work than anything. Sure there are a few people who “get a lucky break”, but those who are truly successful became so through determination, and the force of their own will.
• David offered himself to Saul to fight with Goliath, the Philistine champion, and, to give him courage, Saul armed him with his own weapons; which David rejected as soon as he had them on his back, saying he could make no use of them, and that he wished to meet the enemy with his sling and knife. In conclusion, the arms of others either fall from your back, or they weigh you down, or the bind you fast. Each of us has been blessed by God with talents–mental weapons and armor–which make us uniquely able to deal with the life we’ve been given. To be truly successful as a person, and particularly as a leader of the people around you, it’s necessary to understand your own strengths and to use them to the best of your ability. Understand what makes you uniquely you, and become proficient in life’s weapons that you know. Relying on “the arms of others” will leave you defenseless, or will lock you into impossible situations with no way out.
• Further than this, how extraordinarily the ways of God have been manifested beyond example: the sea is divided, a cloud has led the way, the rock has poured forth water, it has rained manna, everything has contributed to your greatness; you ought to do the rest. God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us. As a Christian myself, I have a strong faith in God. I do believe that “God will provide.” However, I also believe just as strongly what Machiavelli is saying here. Faith is no substitute for action. If we have the capability to do something for ourselves, I believe God requires us to do so. Anything less would leave us as weak infants, unable to deal with the stresses that comes with simply existing.

 Machiavelli on Decision Making

• A wise man ought always to follow the paths beaten by great men, and to imitate those who have been supreme, so that if his ability does not equal theirs, at least it will savour of it. When trying to choose directions in your life or career, take the time to look at the successful people who did it before you. Study them, and if nothing else, imitate them. There’s a reason they were successful. By learning the choices they made, you may save yourself some of the pain they experienced at the onset of their journey.
• He who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation. Be realistic in choosing your course. Idealism is a nice concept, but in life can be disastrous when not coupled with reality. That doesn’t mean you let life dictate your decisions for you, but it does mean you should give careful consideration as to whether what “ought to be done” in a situation actually makes sense. A political example could be communism, which in theory is a compassionate course, but in reality, when human ambition is introduced, becomes a collective dictatorship.
• It is found in ordinary affairs that one never seeks to avoid one trouble without running into another; but prudence consists in knowing how to distinguish the character of troubles, and for choice to take the lesser of evil. Be aware of hardships that may result from your decisions, but don’t be controlled by them. Making some choices may be painful, but always taking the easy route will eventually land you in more trouble than you started with.

Machiavelli on Liberalism

• Therefore, any one wishing to maintain among men the name of liberal is obliged to avoid no attribute of magnificence; so that a prince thus inclined will consume in such acts all his property, and will be compelled in the end, if he wish to maintain the name of liberal, to unduly weigh down his people, and tax them, and do everything he can to get money. I found it interesting that a philosopher from the 1500’s understood that liberal leadership, when followed to its ultimate result, will always end in higher taxes and oppression. In everyday life, a person without charity is heartless. There are always times through life, when someone needs a hand up. Where it goes awry is when a person is trying to establish an image of being liberal. When you give, check your motivation. If it’s to impress (as is often the case in government), it will be unsustainable.
• If he is wise, he ought not to fear the reputation of being mean, for in time he will come to be more considered than if liberal, seeing that with his economy his revenues are enough, that he can defend himself against all attacks, and is able to engage in enterprises without burdening his people; thus it comes to pass that he exercises liberality towards all from whom he does not take, who are numberless, and meanness towards them to whom he does not give, who are few. In other words, sometimes you just need to say “no.” People may consider you to be a tight- wad or insensitive, but the only way to be able to sustain long-term charity, is to be sure you remain in a position to help.
• And there is nothing that wastes so rapidly as liberality, for even whilst you exercise it you lose the power to do so, and so become either poor or despised, or else, in avoiding poverty, rapacious and hated. Perhaps Washington, so intent on their image of compassion and liberality, should consider this. There’s a time for everything, but any thing without balance, no matter how good, will end in disaster.

I understand now, how “The Prince” has survived for over five hundred years. I didn’t agree with many of Machiavelli’s perspectives, but overall, I think there was a lot to learn from him, and I hope after reading this, that you will too.

What do you think?  Your thoughts and comments are welcome.