1670 || what does machiavellian actually mean?

I've been using the term "machiavellian" for years. Recently, I looked it up. Today, I'm sharing what I found.

Machiavelli was a teacher of "evil". He believed virtues were a waste of time. He said successful founders and supporters of government must be violent murderers to sustain control. Fear is a more powerful motivator than fear, so he encouraged brute force and violence as a means to an end.

We can combat this type of thinking by encouraging empathy, connection, and morality.

Wikipedia's Page on Machiavelli.

The Forbes...