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<p>You are listening to Curiosity Curated. I am Zong.</p><p>Let me be clear from the start. I didn’t come to Machiavelli because I wanted to learn how to rule anything. Not a country, not a company, not even a book club. I came to him because I wanted to understand… people. And not just politicians. I’m reading this as a guide to everyday behavior—because in a time as uncertain as ours, we are <em>all</em> navigating the kinds of pressure he described.People under pressure. People in conflict. People making choices when ideals collide with harsh reality. And what surprised me wasn’t how dark Machiavelli was — it was how clear he was.</p><p><em>The Prince</em> is often called a manual for manipulation. But when you actually read it, you find something closer to behavioral science. Of course, behavioral science did not exist in 1513, and Machiavelli wasn’t writing about it. He was writing about princes and states, but the psychological patterns he identified show up everywhere humans int...