"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared"

Machiavelli’s statement delivers a stark and pragmatic lesson on power and human nature. He observes that if one must harm another, it should not be done halfway or in a mild manner. Half-measures only leave the injured party capable and motivated to seek retribution, creating an ongoing cycle of hostility and danger. By contrast, inflicting a decisive, overwhelming injury, so severe that the injured individual cannot or will not retaliate, brings the matter to a conclusion and protects the initial aggressor from future threat.

Underlying this advice is a deep recognition of how resentment and the desire for vengeance operate within individuals. Machiavelli understands that people rarely forgive significant wrongs. Even minor injuries can fester and grow, leading to bitter vendettas. By leaving a rival or enemy partly capable, one creates a dangerous adversary, whose single-minded purpose becomes the pursuit of revenge. Thus, Machiavelli argues for a kind of remorseless efficiency: if harm is truly necessary, it should resolve the problem once and for all.

This principle reveals Machiavelli’s broader attitude toward ethics and morals, in politics especially, traditional morality takes a back seat to the necessities of maintaining power and security. Acts that might seem cruel are, by his reasoning, justified if they eliminate future threats, creating a more stable situation for the ruler and the state. Mercy or hesitation, in certain contexts, may lead to greater bloodshed or chaos later on.

Yet, the philosophy is deeply unsettling for its coldness. It sets aside the possibility of rehabilitation or reconciliation, favoring fear over forgiveness. In essence, Machiavelli suggests that in a world where power dynamics are unforgiving, decisive action, even if brutal, may paradoxically be the more rational or merciful choice, at least in the calculus of preventing ongoing strife and safeguarding one’s own position.