The Cruel Ruler In Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince

In Machiavelli’s book, The Prince, he maintains a harsh perspective on reality. His advice for power leaves no room for compassion. Despite this, he notes that a ruler cannot be hated, for he will lose power so it is important for a ruler to balance his reputation. While it may seem like a fine line to walk, Machiavelli tends to emphasize that it is better to maintain power through fear, rather than compassion. Machiavelli’s critical view leads him to suggest that a ruler should balance being cruel with being hated in order to maintain power. However, I believe that Machiavelli 's advice over simplifies reality and may create a powerful ruler but not necessarily a good ruler.
Machiavelli’s first suggests that a powerful ruler cannot be a good

He explains that a ruler must have a reputation or appearance of a good ruler, even though they may be a horrible person. He writes that a ruler should “avoid being thought to have those evil qualities”(48). This is important because if a ruler is thought to be horrible then the people will begin to hate him. “He must avoid above all being hated and despised”(50). Without the people 's support then the ruler loses power. Overall, Machiavelli believes that a ruler should be a bad person but learn how to hide those negative qualities and maintain a good reputation to keep the general public’s

Leaders and everyday people going about their lives can think about Machiavelli’s, make their own decision on what is right and then live out their life. For example, a CEO may consider Machiavelli’s advice to being a bad leader. By acting cruel, a CEO can get their subordinates to listen the more quickly and also give him the ability to make harsh decisions without worrying about moral implications. While people may not have to adhere to Machiavelli’s advice, he proposes some good points that at least lead people to think how they live their