Machiavellian Kindness

"Cruel to be kind" is a cliché often used in modern society. It suggests using rather harsh means in order to accomplish benevolent ends. For example a parent grounds his or her child for a month after the child is caught smoking. The child thinks the punishment austere, but the parent inflicted the penalty to show the child that smoking is unhealthy and that he or she is breaking the law. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote "The …

…the use of force. These characteristics apparently lead few men to successful leadership in the time of Machiavelli. However, One cannot expect things to be the same in this era as they were when Machiavelli lived, but there are some interesting parallels that present themselves when his words are analyzed. Work Cited Machiavelli, Niccolo. "The Qualities of the Prince." A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford Books. 1998. 35-48.