Read this passage from chapter 22 of The Prince. But to enable a prince to form an opinion of his servant there is one test whic

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3 months ago

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Read this passage from chapter 22 of The Prince. But to enable a prince to form an opinion of his servant there is one test whic

h never fails; when you see the servant thinking more of his own interests than of yours, and seeking inwardly his own profit in everything, such a man will never make a good servant, nor will you ever be able to trust him; because he who has the state of another in his hands ought never to think of himself, but always of his prince, and never pay any attention to matters in which the prince is not concerned. Which statement best summarizes the central idea of this excerpt? One must know the process of hiring servants. It is important to always honor one's servants. It is necessary to choose trustworthy servants. The intelligence of servants must be considered

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2 answers:

Bond [7.5K] · Answer 1 · 2026-03-01T21:44:02+03:00

In this excerpt from chapter 22 of "The Prince" by Machiavelli, the statement that best encapsulates the main idea is It is necessary to choose trustworthy servants. Machiavelli advises the Prince that the initial impression others will have of him will stem from his servants, making it crucial to select trustworthy individuals so that a favorable reputation is maintained.

Naddika [7.4K] · Answer 2 · 2026-03-01T21:48:14+03:00

The key takeaway is:

Understanding the process of selecting servants is essential.

In the passage, particularly here:

"when you notice a servant prioritizing his own interests over yours and is inwardly concerned with his profit, you should never expect him to be a trustworthy servant; he who takes care of another’s estate should focus solely on his master’s interests and ignore anything unrelated to those matters."

This explains how to evaluate a servant, identifying when they will prioritize your needs, and if they lack these traits, it is advisable not to employ them.