Exemplifies Machiavelli's The Prince

In this paper, I will argue that a ruler must do all in his or hers power to not be at a disadvantage. In this paper, I will argue that a ruler must do all in his or hers power to not be at a disadvantage. As being an elitist in society, one must always be ‘beast-like’. Having a disadvantage will put them in a situation to not reach their self-interests. The powerful must use any strategy to be authoritative. There are many present day situations that exemplifies Machiavelli’s points in The Prince. Positions of power take on a great responsibility. With that, comes an inevitable two face. Two face in terms of appearing as one person, but being hypocritical. Much like Machiavelli’s quote, “So it follows that a prudent ruler cannot, and must not, honor his word when it places him at a disadvantage…”, societies leaders must take
Deception is a necessity for success. With all that being said, the world is a deceptive place. “Machiavelli's observation that the individual must be cunning and deceptive, and that the prince must combine the talents of beast and man in order to survive in a harsh and deceptive world”. (David, 2000) Secondly, life as a politician is being ahead of your competition. This requires individuals to be ‘beast-like’. This This comes with the burden of doing whatever it takes to be ahead of competition. Take playing sports for example. Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan were in competition for a gold medal. Nancy Kerrigan did everything is her power to gain an advantage, as far as, breaking Tonya Harding’s leg. Politics will always go for the legs. Machiavellianism is that theory exactly. “understanding politics primarily in terms of who dominates whom and how successfully.” (Dietz, 1987) This argument is ongoing, however, being dishonest and mischievous does not make one not “good”. As contradictory as that sounds, the point has been proved time and time