"If you're harmless, you're not virtuous you're just harmless. If you on the other hand have the capacity to be a monster, but you choose not to be - then you're virtuous." - Kermit the frog

Being nice or having principles does not make you weak. Not knowing what to do when people take advantage of your principles does.

“If you cannot be both, it is better to be feared than loved but avoid being despised.” - Machiavelli

Everyone quote the "it's better to be feared than loved" without quoting the complete sentence wich is: "It is better to be feared than to be loved, if one cannot be both, but avoid being hated at all costs".

“Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I am kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you are going to remember about me.” -Al Capone

"Don't be a simp" - Niccolo Machiavelli

There's nothing wrong with being a nice person. Not being able to stand up for yourself and not setting boundaries when someone treats you badly is wrong.

“Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.” ― Friedrich W. Nietzsche

"Just smile and wave boys, smile and wave" -Skipper

"If people throw stones at you, throw bread instead - with a grenade inside, of course." - Fidel Gandhi

"Its better to be feared than loved but avoid being hated at all cost." this is the best advice I heard in my life..

" Act nice, make your enemies think you are weak and then strike like a lightning bolt" - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"i can't think of any quotes, sorry" -me

Interviewer: You practice violence but preach peace. How do you reconcile the two ? Bruce Lee: I’d rather be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war.

"we are all ultimately the sum of what we achieve not what we intend "............. this hits me like a blow

That's my greatest problem, i always act by the avoidance of conflict, even putting myself in places i'm not comfortable just to not disturb the others. And here i am, stuck, everyone takes me for granted. I don't achieve anything in my life, i just exist, like a plant. This is sad, and it's really difficult to change that.

“While it is pleasant to meet girl in park, it may be more pleasurable to park meat in girl.” -Confucius

"Being nice to people who are bad to you doesn't change them into becoming nicer, you are rewarding them for their behaviour." - someone

I remember this scene from the Castlevania netflix series, where Lenore, a vampire diplomat visits Hector, a human captive in his cell and tries to establish a connection with him by being kind and generous. At some point he manages to get a hold of her throat and threatens her, to which she invades his cell and beats the shit out of him. And then she says, "I am a diplomat Hector, i make peace. I make peace, and because of that people think i am soft, people think i am weak. You won't make that mistake again, will you?" She is genuinely interested in helping him, she is light hearted and kind but won't hesitate to use violence or anything else when necessary. Always good to see these sorts of depictions in media considering that's what most people expose themselves to, hopefully we can all pick up on those underlying principles that permeate characters like this.

The main issue being, kindness is a luxury only the strong can afford. If you are not strong, you are also not being kind, because you have no other option.

"All we had to do was to follow the damn train, CJ" -Confucius

"Do not expect respect, and you'll know no pain" Marcus Aurelius.

"What shall a man profit if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" -Mark 8:36 Life on earth is just temporary, and the average lifespan is about 70 years , while life after here on earth is for eternity and you choose whether eternity in heaven or eternity in hell. Being kind, good, compassionate, hated, and persecuted christian is worth all it because your reward in heaven is eternal life. Machiavellian's ideas to achieve success and riches are only temporary(approximately 70 yrs. if you are lucky) because you can not carry your success or riches after you die.

_"The best revenge is not to be like your enemy."_ - *Marcus Aurelius*

"appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak" Sun Tzu

'You're just not the person I hoped you'd be." - my wife.

I love Dave Chappelle's mom's advice to him, "Son, sometimes you have to be LION just to be the LAMB that you really are".

You nailed it bro. This video has been like grasping at straws for me,otherwise being a nice guy ,i was stuck and could end up suffocating being victim of these bastards.

"You pick the wrong house, fool!" -Sokrates

BEST ADVICE EVER: "Be as NICE as one wishes but NOT overly devoted to acting nicely". takes few readings to REALLY​ grasp that wisdom.

He never learned that good man has no enemies. That’s the real benefit of being good and kind, it comes with the downsides ofc but the main benefit is that you have no enemies, it is a great advantage for calm and healthy life, it takes away a lot of unnecessary stress trough life.

I'm nice, but not stupid. You will struggle to take advantage of me! I'm proud to be calm, honest and with integrity. Bless ur hearts Friends

In short - reserve honor for the honorable, kindness for the kind, and respect for the respectful

"why are people quoting random quotes with no correlation to this video?" -some guy on the internet

“He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.” -Friedrich Nietzsche

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." -The Light, The Truth

"How can I help you" - Google Assistant

Point of the story, don't let your kindness be taken for weakness and don't let anyone step on you.

Ive kept coming back to this video every once in a while since May 2018.

I have always thought that The Prince is one of the most misunderstood books of all time. It’s a fascinating little book with dozens of practical advices

Never put others as a priority when you are only an option to them

"Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the face." -Mike Tyson

The world is lucky that I am quite content with my life 😊

I have read the book in Greek. The translation was of high quality with comments and footnotes, so the reader can gain a deeper understanding of the text. Translators don't get the credit they deserve. It's an activity that demands knowledge, research and great creativity.

"You're a disappointment" -dad

“Don’t always believe what you see online” -Abraham Lincoln

This is the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. I'll also go further to add, Truth in its truest form. I've learned a very valuable lesson from this teaching of divine experience, commonsense and wisdom. May God bless me with divine grace, wisdom, will and courage to practicalize and implement it for my own good, family,loved ones and humanity in general. So shall it be till the end of time. Amen and Amen. Shalom !!!

I've always been interested in politics and this video explained the concept of power in such an interesting way. Now I understand why some people act the way they do

Do not set yourself on fire to keep other warm

"A gentleman will not offend me and no man not a gentleman can offend me." - Frederick Douglass

I think that both Jesus and Machiavelli teach us something very interesting. Jesus thought us how to use goodness, Machiavelli thought us how to use wickedness. A balance is critical, especially for kings. As Jesus said "be as wise as a serpent, and as gentle as a dove".

I certainly agree that there is a lot to learn from evil people. Yet we should never overlook Nietzsche’s warning: “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” Thanks for the videos 🖖

What I learned: "You can only be truly nice if you know how to be evil."

That book is named "Il Principe" which is better translated in Engish as The Ruler. The book is a compendium of advice for the ruler, no matter what kind of ruler. It is written in the style known as "mirrors for princes (specula principum)" but it is different from many such books, it is better, much better written, and, arguably, much "better" pieces of advice.

The most important and unfailing truth that Machiavelli completely missed is Karma. Ruthlessness and cleverness for short term gain is inevitably and eventually followed by reaping what you sow and there are numerous examples of this throughout history.

"I'm stuck" -stepsister

I only stopped being a victim when I learned five things very late in life: 1) People will instantly manipulate you without conscience if they think you're a "nice guy". And women will subconsciously test you to see if you're a "nice guy" (i.e., a rejected prospect who can't protect them) or a good man, who is capable of protecting them, by trying to bully or manipulate you. Even the "nice" girls will do that. How do you pass this test? By being willing to stand up to them, and saying "No", and being willing to walk away, without being an asshole about it and without looking back. Eventually, if you Ever had a chance with them, they will come back to you, as you have proven you are capable of standing up for yourself (and thus capable of standing up for them). Women may be completely unconscious they are even doing this. 2) Learning how to be instantly willing to give someone a bloody nose without guilt, if I need to. After I learned how to do this, I stopped needing to actually do it, as potential bullies sense you are willing and capable of doing it. 3) Everyone is a potential bully. Including you. It's just a human fact of survival. Always be aware of that fact, and be willing to check it in yourself and others, even if they're someone you love. 4) Stop being a "nice guy". You're being a nice guy because you expect to be rewarded for being a nice guy, which is hypocrisy, and women hate that. A "nice guy" is actually a hypocrite, because he expects a reward for being "nice". Women know what you're doing, and will never reward your niceness, but are willing to take advantage of you in every way and feel they are justified because you're being "nice" for false reasons (i.e., in order to get something from them). 5) Stop needing approval from anyone. The people who have the most given to them are people that need other people the least. People sense a person in need, and it automatically repels them, because they think you have nothing to give. If they sense you have no need of them, they automatically are attracted to you, because they think you must have a lot in your life not to need them. This is why you see so many women devoted to real bastards that have nothing to give, because they at least don't seem needy. You don't actually have to Be a bastard. You just have to be capable of being a bastard without guilt, when confronted with bastards. And you have to learn to recognize bastards, conmen, grifters, etc., so you can protect yourself without guilt. I think that is the point that Machiavelli was making.

Great presentation. You learn me something! Many Thanks!🎈

Having been a nice person for most of my life i learnt it the hard way that there will be wicked people who will have their justification for their evil ways. Now, I spot the wicked people early on, i counteract their evil ways and ensure that I'm not at the receiving end. Not the best of ways to live but certainly better than being fooled all the time

I think another challenge arises in not becoming everything you despise about your enemy.

"you only get HIV positive if you do the tests" - Jackie Chan

The problem with Machiavelli's principle is the underlying assumption that being successful in a temporary world is meaningful. Arnold Schwarzenegger's muscles were finely tuned when he was young to only have them wither. Building a statue to our hero's, only to have the Sun eventually destroy it. The work done on Earth ends up being in vein. The choice then becomes, in a vein world, is it better for all living things to live peacefully, dignified, and kind, or unleash the Hitler.

A lot of people just want to become balanced. Adopt a philosophy of charity if naturally too selfish or enlightened self interest if too caring. The fact that there are other reasons to adopt these types of philosophies adds enough noise to hide your true intentions (even from yourself).

"when you fall down from a horse, you get up and eat that horse" - Son Goku (TFS)

"Never piss against the wind" - Jason Statham

You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means which they use to frighten you- Eric Hoffa.

Being dangerous is the key, each being manifests an aura of impotence and dangerousness.. The first is pitied at best, the second is feared although not being inherently evil

Your voice is like warm gravy on fresh smooth mashed potatoes

"One who has a 'why' to live can endure almost any 'how'.- Nietzsche

This will be useful for my project, thank you very much

"I don't know any quotes but I want to fit in" - me

I'm paraphrasing Jordan Peterson: Let's not confuse being harmless with being virtuous. If you're too weak/scared to do damage, you are not virtuous, you're just harmless. If you're capable of doing serious damage and you're a force to be reconned with, then you can be virtuous by not doing damage when not necessary. If you are harmless, that's the problem you should be solving. You need to grow teeth, otherwise you're just going to grow resentful as the world runs you over.

“When a man learns to feel love, he must also bear the risk of feeling hatred." -Madara Uchiha

And when everyone does this- we all destroy each other.

Loved the explanation. I started reading The Prince today:)

"Our words are backed by nukes" -Mahatma Ghandi

"friends are like potatoes, if you eat them, they will die" - Mike Tyson

This is very correct. I read the book. I wish I had it in Hard Copy for reference

All I ever was gotten from being the nice guy was bruises and broken hearted 🥺✌️❤️

“Thomas Edison wears women’s undergarments.” - Nikola Tesla

Don't be kind, be fair. -My South African Tour Guide

wonderful concise video, thank you very much !!

thanks for the video subscribed

"I want to meet the manager right now" -Karen

Martyrs are loved, but they are dead. -Machiavelli

I always thought of Machiavelli being a sociopath (perhaps because I did not read his books first hand) perhaps he was a direct victim of sociopaths as some of us are!

His methods are written for extremely hard times of uncertainty. However the aspiration for a better world can't stop either.

Nice guys don't finish last, they don't even finish the race. - recovering nice guy

“I'll never leave you" Your ex GF

People always overcorrect. Don't go to extremes, just be balanced. That way you don't deny yourself unless it is harmful. Do no harm, but don't be a pushover. Be willing to fight for honor but not for pride.

“Nice guys” are guys who don’t have anything else valuable to bring. 0:42 - “Threaten or get violent”; This is out the window when you’re stronger & more physically capable. Amazing how as I got bigger & stronger, the less “nice” I was perceived. A dude once tried me one time too many with a condescending comment, I warned him multiple times. He didn’t listen and I grabbed him by throat and with one hand, threw him against wall-then let him go. Point made. Life requires being ruthless, and attain high competence, but also acquire power. Power = influence, something done through listening more than anything else.

"May the force be with you, Harry." - Gandalf

‘Ferb, I know what we’re gonna do today’ -Benito Mussolini

"You don't hire a saint to catch a sinner." - Sheriff Malloy

Thank you for sharing this. And it is entertaining with these animations sort of Terry Gilliam's style. Machiavelli already knew about psychopaths even before this word existed. By the way, I don't know if the word already existed at that time. Some people (included me) feel : there is nothing to do, no one to convince etc. So if we don't achieve anything, we don't see us as losers. I feel that those one who insist on such things, are sort of paternalistic , deciding how other people should think and act, instead of leaving them alone. I just don't collaborate with the enemy, trying to buy as less bastard products (those made by bastard companies that don't care about their employees or even slaves) as posible. Partly this is what Joe Strummer and Gandhi said and this is the way I feel I can do my best. . . . Oh! well, maybe not. Maybe psycopaths will keep on ruling the world even if everybody buy only fair productos. I am afraid Machiavelli was right.

In simple words. Be nice, but learn to say no and don't get used by others.

"The surest way to remain poor is to be an honest man" - Napoleon Bonaparte

An eye for an eye doesn't make both parties blind, it ensures they each get to keep an eye.

The strongest warrior keeps the sword sheathed..... always aware of options.... always learning from the environment....attracting situations that require overcoming, and rising above with little carnage.... rinse and repeat.... allows lots of time for being " Nice ! "

A big part of this is knowing the tricks of your enemies. That doesn't mean you need to use them and become like them, but more so being able to identify when they are using those tricks.