Machiavelli's "The Prince", Anyone read this?

[Non Sequitur]

Art of war is good also...

"Never cross a body of water to attack an enemy."



Wow! I can really apply that to my daily life. Thanks Old Chink.

























Nah, I'm bullshytting It's way better than The Prince, but a lot of the book is irrelevant unless you're playing Dynasty Warriors.

 

[thekidfromqueens]

Lol of course not, that's probably 1 of the 48 laws

I'm not sure what I'm looking to get out of it, other than knowledge; of what you may ask? I'm not sure. Life lessons I suppose, as I've fiddled around with a book by Nietzsche called "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" and I've yet to finish it all but I've highlighted some things that are very applicable. If you'd like I could pick it up and quote one for you?

Life lessons sound like a good plan to go for. I hate those cats who are like "I'm gonna read Nico or read 48 laws and become a manipulative mastermind" but you seem like you're in it for the knowledge so that's good. I realize I come off sounding like one of those hipster people by saying that. In terms of philosophy I always found Nietzsche a bit hard to read. I read pieces of "The Gay Science" , On the Geneaology of Morality and Twilight of the Idols but that was almost 4 years ago when I was 19 so I can't front like I'm an expert, but post some shyt and hopefully we all can discuss it in this thread and it's relation to The Prince.

 

[Poh SIti Dawn]

Life lessons sound like a good plan to go for. I hate those cats who are like "I'm gonna read Nico or read 48 laws and become a manipulative mastermind" but you seem like you're in it for the knowledge so that's good. I realize I come off sounding like one of those hipster people by saying that. In terms of philosophy I always found Nietzsche a bit hard to read. I read pieces of "The Gay Science" , On the Geneaology of Morality and Twilight of the Idols but that was almost 4 years ago when I was 19 so I can't front like I'm an expert, but post some shyt and hopefully we all can discuss it in this thread and it's relation to The Prince.

Yeah, I think that if you actually go in reading a book with no intentions other than an interest then you'll gain a lot from it. Lol sounding like one of my friends thinking he's deep and shyt. Naw, I totally understand it because when I see someone reading the 48 powers of law I know their intention and it makes me cringe like "you fukking lame". Yeah I hear that, while reading his book like it's told in story form, but god damn you kind of got to let it marinate and sit for a little bit, but that's what it's about though because philosophy is meant to be pondered upon and then interpreted and then discussed, and not just understood. And alright, these are some of the noticeable parts (In my opinion) from Friedrich Nietzsche's "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"

"One repays a teacher badly if one remains only a pupil."
"All feeling suffers in me and is in prison: but my willing always come to me as my liberator and bringer of joy."
"Be reserved in accepting! Honor a man by accepting from him! Thus I advice those who have nothing to give. I, however, am a giver: I give gladly as a friend to friends. But strangers and the poor may pluck the fruit from my tree for themselves: it causes less shame that way. Beggars, however, should be entirely abolished! Truly, it is annoying to give to them and annoying not to give to them. And likewise sinners and bad consciences!"
"And should your friend do you a wrong, then say: 'I forgive you what you did to me; but that you did it to yourself- how could I forgive that?"

 

[Poh SIti Dawn]

"You love your virtue as the mother her child; but when was it heard of a mother wanting to be paid for her love?"
"And when they call themselves 'the good and just', do not forget that nothing is lacking to make them into Pharisees except- power!"
"But he who is hated by the people as a wolf is by the dogs: he is the free spirit, the enemy of fetters, the non-worshipper, the dweller in forests."
"A hunger grows from out of my beauty: I should like to rob those to whom I give- thus do I hunger after wickedness"
"Yes, you are still my destroyer of all graves: Hail, my will! And only where there are graves are there resurrections."

That's all I can find but I still haven't finished the book lol. I probably need to reread it as well, bought it last summer.

 

[Tom]

why are black people so fascinated by these manipulative books?

 

[DeuceZ]

Think I read the prince like 10 yrs ago...basically he was saying fear is a stronger motivator than love...only read it to understand why Tupac started calling himself Makaveli the Don

Spoiler

plus I think the Prince was written while he was under house arrest; may have later been executed but i may be wrong

Spoiler

pretty forgettable imo

 

[KnowledgeIsQueen]

It's painfully obvious the individuals that talk negatively about either book, have never read it.

Those that have read either or, in it's entirety, understand: the words written within have to study and absorbed.

 

[TheNig]

The prince, interesting

48 laws of power....how to be a snake

I was sitting here the entire time reading people's posts tryna figure out the best way to describe 48 Laws. And this is it to some extent. The story about the guy who was boxing and thought he killed the other guy comes to mind. That shyt was dirty as fukk.

It was an interesting read but if you're a "do unto others" type person, there's little to nothing you can take from this book and live your life according to it.

 

[Ain't That Something]

"Never cross a body of water to attack an enemy."



Wow! I can really apply that to my daily life. Thanks Old Chink.




Nah, I'm bullshytting It's way better than The Prince, but a lot of the book is irrelevant unless you're playing Dynasty Warriors.

Breh with these book I think you have to look deeper. Like that shyt you quoted actually made sense to me.

 

[KnowledgeIsQueen]

"Sincere people are loved, but often deceived"

"The wisest are easiest to deceive: they may know extraordinary things, but they know nothing of life's ordinary necessities"

^^^ Quotes from "The Art Of Worldly Wisdom" By Baltasar Gracian (The Blueprint for 48 laws of power)

When something isn't inherently apart of your being, you'll forever be the next person's sucker/mark. Understanding how other people think and how your naivete can be used for another individuals gain, is essential for survival.

Both books allowed me to see the people I was dealing with more clearly, and helped me understand certain weaknesses I was previously blind to.

But, that's just me....

 

[WHIPPEDCream]

I was assigned to read this in the 10th grade.I just couldn't get into it.It was very hard to follow in the beginning.

 

[Mr. Pink]

You people should also give Francis Bacon's "Essays" a try. It's probably the best 'earthly wisdom' book ever written.

 

[KnowledgeIsQueen]

You people should also give Francis Bacon's "Essays" a try. It's probably the best 'earthly wisdom' book ever written.

Just googled it

At first glance it reminded me of "The Prophet" by Khalil Gibran, then I kept scrolling

 

[concise]

"Never cross a body of water to attack an enemy."



Wow! I can really apply that to my daily life. Thanks Old Chink.



Nah, I'm bullshytting It's way better than The Prince, but a lot of the book is irrelevant unless you're playing Dynasty Warriors.

Breh with these book I think you have to look deeper. Like that shyt you quoted actually made sense to me.

It kind of does, and it kind of doesn't. I know he just made it up, but still.


and I also thought 48 Laws of Power was some old Chinese book, but it was written by some middle-aged white guy. But the way people talk about it, I thought it was some old Confucius era stuff. He obviously picked a great title.

 

[KnowledgeIsQueen]

It kind of does, and it kind of doesn't. I know he just made it up, but still.


and I also thought 48 Laws of Power was some old Chinese book, but it was written by some middle-aged white guy. But the way people talk about it, I thought it was some old Confucius era stuff. He obviously picked a great title.

You cannot stomach the 48 laws of power?

I purchased it in 1998 when it was first published, my ass probably has a better tolerance for it.

I have all of Robert Greene's Books, that's