Machiavelli's Views On Fear

Machiavelli argues that a leader should be both loved and feared, but if you had to pick one, pick fear. He favors fear over being loved, because it is safer for the leader to have his followers fear him than love him. It is easier to betray someone that you have love for, than someone that you fear. Machiavelli also believes that when you have an army, in order to keep them in harmony, they would have to fear you and respect your abilities as a leader. If they had no fear of their leader they would not be as united as they would be if they solely respected him. Machiavelli believes that you have to balance mercy and cruelty, because if you are too merciful then your people will not respect you or have faith in you. The leader should be just
In Machiavelli’s opinion, men are fickle, ungrateful, selfish, and unpredictable. Machiavelli says, “Men have less hesitation in injuring one who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared, for love is held by a chain of duty which, since men are bad, they break at every chance at their own profit; but fear is held by a dread of punishment that never fails you.” This way of thinking is very safe, when you cannot predict the outcomes of your people you should be feared by them. I think that is a very smart way of thinking, because it is truly easier to betray the people that you love than the people that you fear. The people that you love are easy to betray, so why would a leader want to be loved and have the possibility of being betrayed, because he cannot balance both being loved and feared. He should choose to be feared, but be careful not to be hated. If a leader is hated then it is also dangerous for him, because the people would
A loved leader is also easier to get betrayed by his men, if they think he cannot be cruel enough to take over another city they will be more likely to betray him. Machiavelli states that “This could not have resulted from anything else than his well-known inhuman cruelty, which, together with his numberless abilities, made him always respected and terrible in the soldiers’ eyes.” If you were to have a karate teacher that you do not fear you are always willing to fight him and try to beat him, but if you fear him, then you will not try to beat him, because you are afraid of him and what he can do. Machiavelli is trying to say the same type of thing about army leaders. If you fear your leader you will not try to betray him, you will show him with respect and loyalty. A loved karate teacher, you are not hesitant to fight, but a feared teacher you would not dare challenge. In the same light you do not betray your leader, you are hesitant and know your