黑格爾說: 國家要建立在理智之上。

   老子《道德經》所說的：勇於敢則殺，勇於不敢則活。

l  做君主要「人面獸心」Therefore it is necessary for a prince to understand how to avail himself of the beast and the man. 像希臘神話中的人面獸身Centaur Chiron般的半獸半人half beast and half man。

l  為君者當如老虎與狐狸，老虎的勇猛可以制服狼，狐狸的狡猾可以免陷入陷阱，也就是說要「如虎勇猛，似狐狡詐」 the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves. Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves.不過應用在事關國家的訂條約協約，以正人君子是難以顧全國家利益大局showing how many treaties and engagements have been made void and of no effect through the faithlessness of princes; 所以狐狸的機智洞悉詭詐最能完成使命and he who has known best how to employ the fox has succeeded best.

l  君王不一定要擁有良好的人格特質good qualities，但是要在行為上裝成賢達明德、央央大國之主的風骨but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite.尤其是新立的王者建立威信、權力，鞏固地位，管理國家所該如此行的。因為人以感官優先印象，但較少深究其內在everyone sees how you appear, few touch what you are。

     費茲傑羅：要看一個人是否具有第一流的才能，最好的測驗莫過於看他是否能在同一時間內容納兩種相互矛盾的念頭，但卻照樣能繼續其思想而不受影響。

    政治真的很複雜。