Therefore a wise prince ought to adopt such a course that his citizens will always in every sort and kind of circumstance have need of the state and of him, and then he will always find them faithful.

Anonymous
About This Quote

The most important thing that a wise prince ought to do is to make sure that the citizens of his country always need him and his government. If he can do that, then he can rest easy knowing that his people will always be loyal and devoted to him and his country. The problem with this quote is that it can be interpreted in two different ways: 1) It means that a wise prince should only need his people when times are tough so as to keep them loyal. This is obviously not true as every person needs the state and the government whenever they want something done. 2) The other view is that a wise prince should also make sure that his people always have a need for the state and the government. However, this approach is dangerous because making sure that your people always have need of you and your government does not always lead to loyalty and devotion; it often leads to resentment and anger.

Source: The Prince

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