Is It Better To Be Loved Or Hated?

In The Prince, Machiavelli states that it is better to be hated then loved as a leader. I disagree with him, and say that it is much better to be loved then hated. There are certain people, like Alexander the Great and Caesar who were loved when they ruled, there is human nature that affects the way people respond to things, and how a prince treats his people.

Through out the ages there have been many good and bad rulers. Some of them ruler by fear, but some, like Caesar and Alexander the Great ruled by love. Caesar made most of Rome happy by giving them more rights and freedom to do what they wanted. I know he was assassinated, but that was only because a select few started to fear him. Alexander the Great was a loved ruler because he let the areas that he conquered live like they usually did. He also allowed religious tolerance so that everyone under his empire would remain happy. Sometimes human nature has an affect on whether someone is loved or hated.

Human nature can also affect if a ruler is loved or hated. Some people are naturally kind and some people aren’t. Some people can trust someone instantly, and some people have to build trust. If the people in a prince’s country dislike him, they will probably create a plot to kill him. So, a prince must treat all of the people who live in his country with respect.

Finally, if a prince loves and is loved by his people, then there would be no drive to overthrow him. The people of the prince’s country would never think of hurting him if he treated everyone with respect. But if a prince is feared by his people, they might want to get rid of him because they are afraid of what might happen to their country.

Therefore, I think that it is better to be loved then hated because of human nature, and how some rulers could create an empire where they were loved. It also depends on the way that the prince treats his people.