If there is one thing a prince must above all avoid, Machiavelli says, it is hatred and contempt.
Avoid these two alone, and the rest carries little danger. He applies this same principle to the most feared threat of all: conspiracy.
Hatred and Contempt
Machiavelli says a prince must above all avoid hatred and contempt.
Other flaws can be tolerated, but these two bring down his seat.
What Brings Hatred
Hatred usually comes from one thing: seizing the people’s property and women.
Machiavelli holds that the people are largely content as long as their property and honor go untouched. What remains as a threat, in that case, is only the ambition of a few.
What Brings Contempt
Contempt comes from appearing fickle, frivolous, weak, or irresolute.
By contrast, showing greatness, courage, gravity, and strength lets a prince avoid it. A prince who does not reverse his judgment lightly is hard for others to deceive or shake.
Why Conspiracies Fail
Machiavelli says conspiracies mostly fail. The reason lies in their structure.
No one can plot alone. A discontented person must be drawn in, and the moment that happens, that person gains a reason to betray it. Informing brings a reward and an escape from danger.
Even after the act, the fear does not end. If the people turn away, there is nowhere left to run.
The People, the Real Shield
So Machiavelli treats the people’s goodwill as a prince’s greatest shield.
Uno Principe… deve tenere delle congiure poco conto, quando il popolo gli sia benivolo. (Chapter 19)
As long as the people do not turn away, a conspirator finds no relief from fear, even in success.
Today, Being Used as a Shield
Machiavelli paints the people’s goodwill as a shield that protects the prince.
This meets again the question raised in Chapter 9. Whether treating the people well is for their sake or for the prince’s own protection splits the same way here.
But this chapter casts the answer a little differently. Whatever the motive, it remains a fact that the people actually live more safely under a prince who is not hated.
So it is worth asking of myself too. If the outcome is the same, how much does it matter whether the motive was pure?