“Fortune is the arbiter of one half of our actions, but she still leaves us to direct the other half, or perhaps a little less.”Niccolò Machiavelli · Principele · 1532 · capitolul 25
Luck owns half, but the half that matters belongs to those who prepare in advance.
Machiavelli rejects fatalism: history is a river that strikes us all, but a prepared person builds dikes in advance. The half we control exists only if we act before the storm arrives. A ruler who consolidates power in good years survives the crisis, while the passive one is swept away by events.
Why it matters Today this helps anyone tempted to blame circumstances: the economy, a boss, bad luck. Accept what you cannot change, then act decisively on what you can.