Key Arguments

• Flatterers abound because men delight in their own affairs and self-deceive, making princes vulnerable.
• Guarding against flattery requires signaling that truth can be spoken without offense.
• Allowing everyone to speak freely leads to loss of respect, so indiscriminate openness is risky.

Source Quotes

One error into which Princes, unless very prudent or very fortunate in their choice of friends, are apt to fall, is of so great importance that I must not pass it over. I mean in respect of flatterers. These abound in Courts, because men take such pleasure in their own concerns, and so deceive themselves with regard to them, that they can hardly escape this plague; while even in the effort to escape it there is risk of their incurring contempt.

I mean in respect of flatterers. These abound in Courts, because men take such pleasure in their own concerns, and so deceive themselves with regard to them, that they can hardly escape this plague; while even in the effort to escape it there is risk of their incurring contempt. For there is no way to guard against flattery but by letting it be seen that you take no offense in hearing the truth: but when every one is free to tell you the truth respect falls short.

These abound in Courts, because men take such pleasure in their own concerns, and so deceive themselves with regard to them, that they can hardly escape this plague; while even in the effort to escape it there is risk of their incurring contempt. For there is no way to guard against flattery but by letting it be seen that you take no offense in hearing the truth: but when every one is free to tell you the truth respect falls short. Wherefore a prudent Prince should follow a middle course, by choosing certain discreet men from among his subjects, and allowing them alone free leave to speak their minds on any matter on which he asks their opinion, and on none other.

Key Concepts

• I mean in respect of flatterers.
• These abound in Courts, because men take such pleasure in their own concerns, and so deceive themselves with regard to them, that they can hardly escape this plague;
• there is no way to guard against flattery but by letting it be seen that you take no offense in hearing the truth:
• but when every one is free to tell you the truth respect falls short.

Context

Chapter 23, lines 1551-1588; framing the problem of flatterers and the basic tension between truth-telling and contempt.