Chapter Nine: Citizen Monarchy
Those who gain monarchical power through the support of the populace find it easier to maintain their position than those who gain it through the aid of the nobility, because the monarch is surrounded by many people who consider themselves equals, which prevents him from ruling or managing them according to his own will.
Chapter Fourteen: The Monarch’s Military Responsibilities
Armed people and unarmed people cannot be compared. Do not expect armed men to willingly obey unarmed men, nor should you expect unarmed men surrounded by armed servants to be at ease: one harbors suspicion while the other harbors contempt; these two types of people cannot cooperate harmoniously. Therefore, a ruler, aside from the other misfortunes already mentioned, if he does not understand military affairs, cannot win the respect of the soldiers, nor can he rely on their loyalty.
Chapter Fifteen: Reasons for Public Praise or Condemnation, Especially of Monarchs
Those who study how things should be done while ignoring how things actually are cannot save themselves; they will only bring about their own ruin.
Anyone who claims benevolence and righteousness in all matters, once placed among thieves and scoundrels, will inevitably attract trouble. Therefore, if a monarch wishes to survive, he must learn not to be a pushover, and must decide based on the actual situation whether or not to apply this realization.
One must possess sufficient wisdom to know how to avoid the wicked deeds and notorious reputations that might lead to the loss of his regime. If possible, one should be vigilant not to acquire a notorious reputation that could threaten the state. If that is impossible, a little indulgence is acceptable.
Even if it is a bad thing, if not doing it makes it difficult to maintain one’s regime, then one should do it resolutely, without worrying that a bad reputation will invite condemnation from others.
Some things appear to be virtues, but when acted upon, they bring destruction; and some things appear to be evils, but when acted upon, they can guarantee the monarch’s safety and the welfare of the people.
Chapter Sixteen: Generosity and Stinginess
Everyone believes that one should do good without seeking recognition. If a monarch truly follows this, no one will see his generosity. As a result, he cannot avoid being criticized as stingy. Thus, in order to maintain a reputation for generosity, the monarch must increase the burden on the people, using every means possible for harsh levies and taxes, thereby generating popular resentment. When his coffers are strained, even people will stop respecting him.
Because generosity offends many people while only satisfying a very small minority, he begins to realize the signs of shifting public sentiment. The regime is threatened by the slightest disturbance, and he decides to change his style. However, as soon as his style changes, the bad reputation of stinginess immediately falls upon him.
A wise monarch should not care about the bad reputation of stinginess. After years, when people see that the national treasury is abundant, that there are resources to defend against external threats, and that active construction can occur without harsh levies, the people who were not exploited by him will actually consider him generous—and these people constitute the majority.
Those who achieve great feats are the monarchs who are considered stingy; the monarchs who are considered generous are often those who achieve nothing.
It is said that a monarch, in order to avoid exploiting the people’s wealth and flesh, to ensure his own safety, and to prevent the treasury from being empty and him being looked down upon, should not mind being called a miser, because stinginess is one of the vices that can help him govern.
You may already be a monarch, or you may be about to become one. If it is the former case, generosity is harmful to you; if it is the latter, it is absolutely necessary to make others believe you are generous. Caesar is one of those who aspire to be a Roman monarch, and naturally, he must display generosity; but once he achieves his goal, if he is fortunate enough to survive and does not restrain his spending, he will destroy the power he gained himself.
The funds for the monarch’s expenditures may be his own and his subjects’, or they may be others’. If it is the former case, he should economize; if it is the latter, he should display generosity at all times and everywhere. If the monarch is leading troops in the field, relying on plunder, raiding, and ransoms to maintain expenses, and the wealth handled is all others’, then he must fully demonstrate generosity, otherwise his soldiers will not follow him.
There is nothing in the world that depletes oneself more easily than generosity.
Chapter Seventeen: Cruelty and Mercy: Which is More Advantageous, Being Loved or Being Feared
As long as cruelty can maintain the unity and loyalty of the subjects, the monarch should not mind the notorious reputation of cruelty. Compared to excessive mercy leading to long-term disorder, which in turn triggers murder and robbery, causing harm to the entire society, a handful of brutal incidents are clearly much more merciful, because the monarch’s order for execution only harms the individual. Bookmark - Page 92 · Location 1127
Whether being loved is preferable to being feared, or vice versa. The answer is that both are equally important and should not be neglected. However, since one cannot have both, and when two evils are equally powerful, one must choose the lesser, being feared naturally provides much greater security than being loved.
Because, generally speaking, people are ungrateful, fickle, prone to grand claims, inherently hypocritical, avoid danger and seek safety, and insatiably greedy. If you give them benefits, they will turn toward you. As I mentioned earlier , when hardship is still distant, they are willing to go through fire and water for you; they can dedicate their wealth, life, or even their sons to you; but when the critical moment arrives, they will turn and leave, without even turning their heads back.
The people’s love for the monarch stems from the will of the populace, but the monarch cannot control it entirely. The key to the people’s fear of the monarch, however, lies in the monarch’s own will—that he himself can be the master. Therefore, a wise monarch should follow only his own will, and not rely on the will of others. As long as he strives to avoid popular resentment, that will suffice, just as mentioned earlier.
Chapter Eighteen: The Way of the Monarch to Keep Promises
Once his own interests are violated or the reason for the original promise disappears, a wise monarch should neither be able nor should he be obligated to keep the promise.
Humans are inherently wicked; they will not keep their word to you. By the same logic, you do not need to keep your word to them.
There will never be a lack of a legitimate reason to mask one’s act of betrayal and abandonment. Just look at how many treaties have become scraps of paper, and how many promises have become empty words—it is all due to the monarch being inconsistent between word and deed.
One must know how to beautifully mask one’s animalistic nature and become a great liar and hypocrite. People are very naive, only concerned with immediate needs, which allows the deceiver to always find people willing to be fooled.
The monarch does not necessarily have to possess all those qualities considered good, but it is indeed necessary to make people feel that he possesses them all. I dare to say even: possessing those qualities and practicing them at all times and everywhere will certainly harm oneself; conversely, making people feel that he possesses all those qualities is very useful—for example, making them feel that he is compassionate, loyal and reliable, humanitarian, upright, and possesses a pious faith, and that he will actually put them into practice. However, the monarch must be mentally prepared, and when it is necessary to change course, he must know how to do it.
He must constantly adapt to the changing winds of fortune and the shifts in circumstances. Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, if possible, he should not neglect virtue, but when necessary, he should know how to act wickedly.
He must present himself in such a way that people who hear or see him feel that he is the embodiment of compassion, loyal and reliable, upright, humanitarian, and pious. The last of these is particularly necessary because humans usually make judgments based on the eyes, not the hands; because everyone can see, but few can have first-hand contact. Everyone sees the way you present yourself, but few can perceive your true nature, and those few dare not go against the majority.
Chapter Nineteen: How to Avoid Being Despised and Resented
A monarch cannot please both sides; accommodating one side is bound to offend the other. Therefore, first and foremost, he should strive strenuously to avoid causing widespread popular resentment; if this cannot be done, as a secondary measure, he should strive strenuously to avoid causing the resentment of the most powerful group of people.
Chapter Twenty: Pros and Cons of Measures Commonly Used by Monarchs, Such as Fortresses
One must carefully consider the motives of those people. If their motives are not sincere adoration, but merely dissatisfaction with the old regime, then the new monarch will inevitably have to put forth great effort and face heavy difficulties to maintain friendly relations with them, because it is impossible to make them feel satisfied.
Those who were initially hostile to him because they were satisfied with the old regime are easier to win over; conversely, those who helped him occupy the area because they were dissatisfied with the old regime are difficult to get along with.
Chapter Twenty-Two: The Monarch’s Key Ministers
When we judge the intelligence of a master, the initial impression comes from observing the people around him. If the people around him are capable and loyal, we can say that the man is wise, probably 8 or 9 out of 10. This is because he possesses the wisdom to know people, allowing capable talent to rise to the top, and he deeply understands the way of utilizing people, ensuring their unwavering loyalty. However, if the people around him are mediocre and incapable or opportunistic, our poor impression of him will certainly be correct, because his first major mistake is the poor choice of staff.
Speaking of human talent, there are no more than three types: one is inherently capable of understanding; another is able to discern the understanding of others; and the third is incapable of understanding itself, yet cannot benefit from the understanding of others.
How does a monarch discern the good from the bad in his ministers? Here is a tried and tested method: those who think only of themselves and rarely of the monarch, whose actions are solely for their own benefit, will never become good ministers; you can never trust them. Because they hold the power entrusted to them, they should not only consider themselves, but should always keep in mind, and focus on, only the monarch’s interests.
Chapter Twenty-Three: How to Avoid Flatterers
People inevitably feel self-satisfied about their own affairs, thus falling into self-absorption. It is difficult to resist this plague, and attempting to resist it risks being looked down upon. The reason for this is that there is only one way to prevent flattery: making people understand that telling you the truth will not offend you. However, once everyone tells you the truth, you will fail to gain universal respect.
A wise monarch should adopt a third method: choosing wise people as his ministers, allowing only those ministers the freedom to tell him the truth, and permitting them only to answer his inquiries, forbidding them from discussing others or other topics. However, the monarch should inquire about their opinions in minute detail, listen carefully, and then make his decision after deep deliberation.