Machiavelli The Prince – The Best Book to Read for a Career in Finance, And My Secret Weapon

The parallels that I have drawn from the book Machiavelli The Prince and the reality of certain sales positions, jobs in finance, or in business in general, is absolutely amazing. In this blog post, I’ll walk through Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince, and will explain what things are involved in the book that I have seen parallel the reality of my current job in the Wealth Management sector of finance, because terrifyingly so, there are so many things that are spelled out in the book that mirror reality. For more information, read on or subscribe to our blog for additional details and information.

Machiavelli The Prince – Why It’s Like My Job

So, there are a few things that really stand out to me from this book anytime I read it, as it’s mainly about acquiring power, keeping power, winning over a state, and about being successful. Machiavelli basically says that there are two real ways to achieve power, have the will of the people, or have exceptional ability. By which he means, you can get there by having an amazing social network and people skills, or you can get there by having some combination of ability factors, such as intelligence, hard work, an able body, fantastic social skills, good ability to strategize and read the board, and a little bit of luck. Being that the Wealth Management field is really just a sales job, maintaining the will of the people, and other pieces of advice that Machiavelli gives, like knowing how to thrive in a familial principality, keeping in check with inherited rulers and the like, is something that I’ve run across in the office.

The fact that he says maintaining the will of the people and the nobles is very important also, is true in that I can see how important office politics and momentum is in my current field, in that if the nobles don’t like working with you, they will absolutely push you out. I can see the people in the office who are more cutthroat also, and of who play the game a little more, (risky?) if you will than some of the other’s who approach their work more coldly in the office, and of how they often times win. Very interesting thoughts to have.

My Key Summary And Takeaways from Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince

Machiavelli basically says that fortune is the arbiter of about half of our outcomes, but that man controls the other half, not to diminish the fact that we have free will. He therefore says that, as a metaphor, that while fortune, what he calls fortuna, can cause a huge flood at certain times of chaos, it does not mean that man should not prepare dikes and levies and make preparations for when the flood comes, so that he can either sidestep the flood or withstand it when it does come. He also says, in the chapter known as “that which concerns a prince on the subject of the art of war” that a prince ought to have no other thought, nor any other field of study, than war and its ways and rules. He should never have the battle out of his mind, and should accustom his body to hardships by training, and that in times of peace, he should addict himself more to the chase than in times of war, so that he is always prepared. He says that a prince can do this by two ways, the one by action, and the other by study. I have tried to mimic this in my own life, always chasing the hustle and studying as much as possible, although it is difficult to say the least.

What To Take and What to Leave From This Book, And Why You Should Carry it With You

For your career in the field of finance, keep in mind a few key points.

1. Always be in good graces and have the will of the people – This is by far the most important thing to keep in mind. Machiavelli says that you can keep men happy and avoid being hated in two ways, do not get involved with another mans woman, and do not harm his money, this will keep him happy. I’ve learned keeping the people happy isn’t necessarily about being best friends with people all the time either, but instead about working hard and making them money!
2. Always follow incessantly the chase – Work as much as you can. Work early, work late. Do everything humanly possible to work as much as you possibly can. Always keep watch, and always be in the game, minimize vacations as much as possible (Machiavelli says that if a prince is on site that he can always be there to watch over problems as they arise, but that if he is away, and especially away for too long, that problems will occur, and that you will have much more difficulty maintaining your state.)
3. Make preparations in times of peace – Just like with the metaphor of the flood, it is important to make preparations in case shit hits the fan. Save as much money as possible, when you are caught up at work, use it to be proactive, always be up early and up late and be awake and alert, and make sure that you do whatever you can to win!

Final Thoughts on My Machiavelli The Prince Review – My Humble Opinion on The Book

And that’s the gist of how I think Machiavelli’s the Prince applies to the world of finance. I’ll be honest I have read this book cover to cover probably 10 times, and have read multiple chapters, the ones about the art of war and about what fortune affects in human affairs and how to withstand her, at least 50 to 100 times. It is a fantastic book, and I would highly recommend studying it and learning from it as much as possible. Until next time, you heard it first right here at Inflation Hedging.com.

Cheers!

*Inflation Hedging.com

Sources:

https://www.bankrate.com/banking/cds/cd-rates/

https://money.cnn.com/data/markets/

Disclaimer: The opinions and documentation contained within this article and on this blog are the sole property of inflationhedging.com and are not to be copyrighted or reproduced in any manner, else legal action within the rights of the United States legal code could be use to obtain recompense. All articles and blog posts are the sole opinions of the writers of the blog, and are not necessarily in line with what exactly will work for you, you should consult a CPA, Tax Professional, or Financial Professional to determine what exact financial needs are in line with your interests. Also, from time to time, certain links on this website will be used to generate affiliate commissions, in order to support the health and growth of our website, health and business.