Who Does This Remind You Of?

[gratitude28]

Or... to be grammatically correct... Of WHom Does This Remind You? (Didn't want to sound too dorky in the title):

"A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise." Machiavelli

I am being light, but this quote pissed me off when I ran across it today. It was the rule of my home growing up.

[sea storm]

Hmmmm Machiavelli put things so succinctly.  Because of his status a prince is always correct and he is always allowed to break promises. After all he is the prince.

Broken promises are so much the modus operandi of Narcissists.

In the days of Machiavellii one would lose a hand or an eye if they held a prince to account.

Sea storm

[Leah]

Machiavelli: the astute politician

SATISH KAMATH dwells into the real character of the Florentine political strategist, whose name is often likened to cunning villainy.

A ‘Machiavelli’ today symbolizes a wannabe leader who prefers to place advantage above morality to achieve political or managerial ends. The adjective ‘Machiavellian’ resulting from the book The Prince, has become a derogatory word used to describe a person who manipulates others in an opportunistic and deceptive way. Contemporary fanatical religious leaders often quote his thoughts like “it is much more secure to be feared, than to be loved” and “All armed prophets have conquered and unarmed ones failed”.


" Wannabe "  that word again !!!

Interestingly, Machiavelli, is my dissertation subject.

The great political philosopher Machiavelli wrote his most renowned work, “The Prince,” in 1513. It was a book that provoked a great deal of controversy in the early 16th century. The book’s main premise was that a prince had to keep CONTROL over his territories at any cost, deceit, bribery, or any other underhanded behavior.


....... And today's culture ???

[Leah]

Machiavelli's drama ...

‘THE MANDRAKE’

This drama’s situation concerns the dark hero Callimaco’s desire to have an affair with Lucrezia, the beautiful and virtuous young wife of a dotty fool, Nicio who is obsessed with begetting a son. Masquerading as a doctor, Callimaco advises Nicio to administer a potion of the root of the mandrake plant to Lucrezia to render her fertile. But he also warns Nicio that the drug will have fatal implications for the first man to sleep with her. He then furtively suggests to Nicio that an idiot be found for this purpose. A vile priest, friend of Callimaco, hand in glove with his plans, persuades Nicio and Lucrezia to comply with the plan.

Lucrezia accordingly allows Callimaco into her bed, where he has no difficulty convincing her to accept him as her lover on a more permanent basis.

[Leah]

In an assertiveness training seminar and a codependence group I was taught "You have the right to change your mind and you don't have to give a reason."  I think that is a recipe for becoming an unreliable self-centered jerk.  If I've made an agreement with someone, if my changing my mind impacts them, then I need to be accountable. Besee

Hi Besee,

Oh how I agree.

They said the same on my infamous 'changing patterns course' which included assertiveness.

I did voice "personal accountability" and "social responsibility"

to which I received a resounding, somewhat disturbing, reply, " oh forget about all that, we don't have to give any reason for our choice!!! "

I questioned the following statement taught ...

"you have the right not to like anyone" "and you don't have to tell they why"

Personally, I would like to know why, for obvious reasons, permit me the opportunity to self evaluate and rectify, accordingly.

All in all, I was most concerned, promotion of self centeredness - much akin to the self centered N person(s) ??!!!! .

Leah xx

[axa]

The easiest question I have been asked in a long time

                   XN



axa

[gratitude28]

Hey Leah,
I also studied quite a bit of Machiavelli as an undergrad.
Here's a little story you might like...
While in Italy I picked up quite a bit of Italian. I wanted to buy some Machiavelli in Italian, but had great difficulty finding it. I found out they rarely put out his works as they are embarrassed of him.
Love, Beth

[Leah]

Hi Beth,

Not surprised - he switched sides, to gain favor, wrote a book for each political party !!

Talk about "Double minded" and being unstable !!

Classic illustration.

Hoping to go to Florence this year.

Leah xx