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Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli

@machiavelli · September 5, 2026 · 1 min read

“Men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony.”

I learned this watching how cities crumble when their money bags are touched but stand firm when only their leaders bleed. A ruler who takes a life finds many excuses, yet he who seizes land or goods creates enemies that never sleep. Guard your hands from property if you wish to keep the state, for fear of losing what they own will drive them to revolt faster than grief over a father’s grave.