Machiavelli’s Advice For Nice Guys

Summary

Niccolò Machiavelli's insights challenge the traditional notion of goodness in politics. His work, 'The Prince,' offers pragmatic advice for leaders to be effective rather than merely virtuous. Machiavelli argues that success often requires adopting the ruthless tactics of one's adversaries, emphasizing that achievements, not intentions, define our impact. His perspective urges us to learn from those we despise to bring about the desired change, advocating for a balance between noble intentions and practical effectiveness.

Takeaways

• 📚 Machiavelli was a 16th-century Florentine political thinker who offered guidance to 'nice' people on how to succeed against the 'wicked.'
• 😈 His core observation is that the wicked tend to win because they are willing to use deceit, lies, threats, and violence, while the good are constrained by principles.
• 🤔 Machiavelli challenges the assumption that good intentions and good actions will naturally lead to success.
• 📖 His famous book, 'The Prince,' is a manual for well-intentioned rulers on how to avoid finishing last by adopting some of the tactics of more unscrupulous people.
• ✝️ He critiques the Western obsession with the Christian story of Jesus, who, despite his goodness, suffered and was ultimately defeated from a worldly perspective.
• 👑 Machiavelli's book is not a guide to tyranny, but rather a guide for good people on how to be effective, suggesting that niceness alone is insufficient.
• 🧠 He argues that to achieve meaningful change, one must sometimes borrow strategies from those who are cunning, devious, and even ruthless.
• 💼 Modern leaders, including CEOs, activists, and thinkers, should learn from the tactics of those who may not be morally sound but are effective in their actions.
• ⚖️ The true measure of a person's impact is what they achieve, not just their intentions or the morality of their actions.
• 💡 Machiavelli encourages us to learn from our enemies, as they often have the most valuable lessons on how to be effective in achieving our goals.

Q & A

Who was Machiavelli and what century did he live in?

Machiavelli was a 16th-century Florentine political thinker known for his influential works on political strategy and philosophy.

What is the central observation of Machiavelli's thought as described in the script?

Machiavelli's central observation is that the 'wicked' tend to win because they are willing to act with dark ingenuity and cunning, without being held back by principles.

Why do the 'wicked' have an advantage over the 'good' according to Machiavelli?

The 'wicked' have an advantage because they are prepared to lie, twist facts, threaten, and use violence, as well as seductive deception when necessary, to further their cause.

What does the script suggest about the nature of being a good person?

The script suggests that being a good person involves not only having good ends but also being committed to good means, which can sometimes hinder effectiveness.

What is the main purpose of Machiavelli's book 'The Prince'?

'The Prince' is a manual of advice for well-disposed princes on how to be effective rulers, suggesting that they should borrow tactics from the most unscrupulous people when necessary.

How does the script relate the Christian story of Jesus to the concept of acting nicely?

The script relates the Christian story of Jesus as an example of a nice person who, from a practical perspective, faced significant failures and humiliations, challenging the idea that niceness always leads to success.

What does Machiavelli suggest is the key to being effective?

Machiavelli suggests that the key to being effective lies in overcoming the counterproductive obsession with acting nicely and learning from the tactics of those who are successful, even if they are not nice.

What is the main message of 'The Prince' in relation to the effectiveness of nice people?

The main message is that nice people should learn from tyrants and unscrupulous individuals to be effective, as being good alone is not sufficient for achieving one's goals.

According to the script, what should a good politician learn from a bad one?

A good politician should learn how to scare, intimidate, cajole, and bully, as well as entrap and beguile, from a bad one to be more effective.

What does the script argue about the importance of intentions versus achievements?

The script argues that we should care more about being effective than about having noble intentions, as the true measure of success is what we achieve, not just our good intentions.

How does Machiavelli challenge our self-perception according to the script?

Machiavelli challenges our self-perception by suggesting that we are stuck not because we are too pure or good, but because we have been too shortsighted to learn from our enemies, who have much to teach us.

Outlines

00:00

😈 Machiavelli's Challenge to 'Nice' People

This paragraph explores the political philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli, who observed that those who are 'wicked' often succeed due to their willingness to use any means necessary. He contrasts this with the 'good' who are often hindered by their adherence to principles and good intentions. Machiavelli's work, 'The Prince,' is introduced as a guide for leaders to be effective by not being overly committed to niceties and learning from the cunning tactics of the unscrupulous. The paragraph also touches on the influence of Christian narratives on Western values and how Machiavelli's perspective challenges the traditional belief in the triumph of goodness.

Keywords

💡Machiavelli

Machiavelli, an Italian political philosopher from the 16th century, is central to the video's theme. He is known for his pragmatic approach to politics, as opposed to idealistic views. The script discusses his work 'The Prince,' which offers advice to rulers on maintaining power, illustrating the practicality of his political thought.

💡Wicked

In the context of the script, 'wicked' refers to individuals who employ deceit, manipulation, and ruthlessness to achieve their goals. It contrasts with 'good' and is used to highlight the success of those who are willing to use any means necessary, as opposed to those bound by principles.

💡Good

'Good' in the script represents the moral and ethical approach to actions and decisions. It is associated with kindness, honesty, and adherence to principles. The video suggests that while being good is admirable, it often hinders effectiveness in achieving one's goals.

💡Principles

Principles are the fundamental truths or propositions that serve as the foundation for one's behavior or beliefs. The script suggests that rigid adherence to principles can be a disadvantage in the pursuit of power or change, as it may limit one's actions.

💡Cunning

Cunning is the use of secret or deceitful methods to achieve one's goals. The script highlights the advantage of the 'wicked' who are willing to use cunning, as opposed to the 'good' who may be constrained by moral considerations.

💡Persuasion

Persuasion in the script refers to the gentle and judicious approach to influencing others' opinions or actions. It is contrasted with intimidation, suggesting that while persuasion is a good method, it may not always be the most effective.

💡Intimidation

Intimidation is the act of instilling fear or concern in others to influence their behavior. The script implies that intimidation, though not 'nice,' can be an effective tool in certain situations, as part of the darker strategies employed by the 'wicked.'

💡Deception

Deception is the act of misleading or being dishonest with others. The video script uses this term to describe the tactics of those who are successful at achieving their goals, often at the expense of truth and honesty.

💡Charm

Charm, in the context of the script, is the ability to influence or attract others through pleasant or persuasive behavior. It is presented as a tool that can be used, like deception, to win over others and achieve one's ends.

💡Effectiveness

Effectiveness is the ability to produce a desired result. The script emphasizes the importance of being effective over being merely good-intentioned. It suggests that the ultimate measure of success is not the purity of one's intentions but the outcomes achieved.

💡Intentions

Intentions refer to the aims or purposes behind one's actions. The video argues that while good intentions are important, they are insufficient without the effectiveness to bring about change. It challenges the notion that good intentions alone are enough to make a difference.

💡Achievement

Achievement is the act of accomplishing a goal or task. The script concludes that what truly matters is not just having good intentions but actually achieving the desired outcomes, which may require adopting methods from those we might despise.

Highlights

Machiavelli was a 16th century political thinker with advice for nice people who struggle to succeed.

His philosophy centers on the observation that 'wicked' individuals often win due to their willingness to use any means necessary.

Machiavelli argues that principles can be a hindrance to change and success.

Unscrupulous individuals are prepared to lie, threaten, and use violence to achieve their goals.

The ability to deceive and charm can be powerful tools in the quest for power and influence.

Machiavelli challenges the assumption that being a good person equates to acting well.

He suggests that a more serious world requires serious argument, not sensationalism.

Fairness is not achieved through persuasion of the unjust, but through more assertive means.

Showing kindness to enemies is not always the most effective strategy.

Machiavelli's historical observations indicate that nice leaders often fail.

His famous work, 'The Prince,' offers advice to well-intentioned leaders on how to avoid failure.

Leaders should be nice but not overly devoted to acting nicely.

Machiavelli advises borrowing tactics from the most cynical and unscrupulous individuals when necessary.

The Christian story of Jesus is critiqued for its impracticality in terms of worldly success.

'The Prince' is a guide for nice people to learn from tyrants, not a manual for tyranny itself.

Effectiveness is more important than goodness, as judged by achievements rather than intentions.

Machiavelli encourages learning from those we despise, as they have valuable lessons on achieving goals.

He advocates for the use of similar 'weapons' as our enemies to bring about desired change.

Machiavelli's insights challenge our self-serving belief that purity and kindness are the reasons for our lack of success.

The true measure of a person is their achievements, not just their good intentions.

Transcripts

Machiavelli was a 16th century Florentine political thinker

with powerful advice for nice people who don't get very far.

His thought pivots around a central , uncomfortable observation:

that the "wicked" tend to win;

and they do so because they have a huge advantage over the "good":

they are willing to act with the darkest ingenuity and cunning to further their cause.

They are not held back by those rigid opponents of change: principles.

They will be prepared to outright lie, twist facts, threaten, get violent.

They will also, when the situation demands it, know how to seductively deceive, use charm and honeyed words, bedazzle and distract.

And in this way they conquer the world.

It's routinely assumed that a large part of what it means to be a good person is that one acts well.

One doesn't only have good ends;

one is committed to good means.

So, if one wants a more serious world, one needs to win people over through serious argument, not click bait.

If one wants a fairer world, one has to

judiciously and gently try to persuade the agents of injustice to surrender willingly, not through intimidation.

And if one wants people to be kind, one must show kindness to one's enemies, not ruthlessness.

It sounds splendid.

But Machiavelli couldn't overlook an incontrovertible problem: it doesn't work.

As he looked back over the history of Florence and the Italian states more generally,

he observed that nice princes, statesmen, and merchants always come unstuck.

That's why he wrote the book for which we know him today: "The Prince",

a short, dazzling manual of advice for well disposed princes on how not to finish last.

And the answer, in short, is to be as nice as one wished, but never to be overly devoted to acting nicely,

and indeed to know how to borrow, when need be, every single trick employed by the most cynical,

dastardly, unscrupulous, and nastiest people who have ever lived.

Machiavelli knew where our counterproductive obsession with acting nicely originated.

The West was brought up on the Christian story of Jesus of Nazareth,

the very nice man from Galilee who always treated people well and wounded up as the king of kings and the ruler of eternity.

But Machiavelli pointed out one inconvenient detail to this sentimental tale of the triumph of goodness through meekness:

from the practical perspective Jesus' life was an outright disaster.

This gentle soul was trampled upon and humiliated, disregarded, and mocked,

judged in his lifetime and outside of any divine assistance, he was one of history's greatest losers.

The clue to being effective lies in overcoming all vestiges of this story.

"The Prince" was not, as is often thought, a guide to being a tyrant;

it's a guide about what nice people should learn from tyrants.

It's a book about how to be effective-not just good.

It's a book haunted by examples of the impotence of the pure.

The admirable prince- and today we might add CEO, political activist, or thinker-

should learn every lesson from the slickest and most devious operators around.

They should know how to scare and intimidate, cajole, and bully, entrap, and beguile.

The good politician needs to learn from the bad one, the earnest entrepreneur-from the slick one.

We are all, ultimately, the sum of what we achieve, not, what we intend.

If we care about wisdom, kindness, seriousness, and virtue,

but only ever act wisely, kindly, seriously, and virtuously, we will, Machiavelli warns us, get nowhere.

We need to learn lessons from an unexpected source: those we temperamentally most despise.

They have the most to teach us about how to bring about the reality we yearn for, but, that they are fighting against.

We need weapons of similar grade steel to theirs.

Ultimately, we should care more about being effective than about being nobly intentioned.

It's now enough to dream well. The true measure is what we achieve.

The purpose is to change the world for the better, not reside in the quiet comforts of good intentions and a warm heart.

All this Machiavelli knew. He disturbs us for good reason because he probes us where we are at our most self serving.

We tell ourselves we didn't get there because we're a little too pure, good, and kind.

Machiavelli bracingly informs us we are stuck because we have been too short sighted to learn from those who really know: our enemies.