There is no other way of guarding oneself against flattery than by letting men understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth; but wh… - Niccolò Machiavelli

There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.

No es preciso que un príncipe posea todas las virtudes citadas, pero es indispensable que aparente poseerlas

For whoever believes that great advancement and new benefits make men forget old injuries is mistaken.

And here comes in the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both; but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.