The Prince Chapter 22 Summary

A ruler's ministers

  • Choosing ministers is a big deal. If you chose right, everyone will say how smart you are for choosing such a great minister.
  • Machiavelli explains that there are three kinds of people:
  • First, there are those that are just super smart and understand things without any help (like him?)
  • Second, there are those that can understand what someone else has come up with (like Lorenzo?)
  • And third, there are those that just don't get anything (like the common people?)
  • Ministers are great because even if you are only the second kind of person, you can pick a minister that is the first kind and seem super smart.
  • There is no hope for the third kind of person.
  • Now how do we choose a good minister? Throw any minister who seems to be thinking only of himself out of the pile.
  • When you get ministers, give them more than they could ever dream of, so that, unless they are completely worthless, they will only think of how to make things more awesome for you, since you gave them all of that stuff. Loyalty guaranteed.