Avoid Flatterers (the counsel discipline)

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Chapter XXIII's most-applicable chapter for the solo operator with a team. Most advice is flattery; the few who tell the truth become the only counsel worth listening to.

1. Select a small set of counselors. 2. Inquire constantly. 3. Listen patiently. 4. Decide once, then be steadfast. 5. Reward honesty — visibly.

This is the deepest line in the chapter. The prince's wisdom doesn't come from the counsel he gets; he recognizes and applies wisdom in counsel.

The opposite of the inquirer's path: a secretive leader, no consultation, oscillation.

How it's structured

  1. Verbatim core > "There is no other way of guarding oneself from flatterers except letting men understand that to tell you the truth does not offend you; b…
  2. Verbatim core > "Therefore a wise prince ought to hold a third course by choosing the wise men in his state, and giving to them only the liberty of speaki…
  3. The Maximilian case > "Fra Luca, the man of affairs to Maximilian, the present emperor, speaking of his majesty, said: 'He consulted with no one, yet never got…
  4. The Maximilian case The opposite of the inquirer's path: a secretive leader, no consultation, oscillation.
  5. The axiomatic rule > "Good counsels, whencesoever they come, are born of the wisdom of the prince, and not the wisdom of the prince from good counsels." — ch.…
  6. The axiomatic rule This is the deepest line in the chapter. The prince's wisdom doesn't come from the counsel he gets; he recognizes and applies wisdom in…
  7. … 2 more sections in the full essay

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