The quality of a prince's decisions is determined entirely by the quality of the information he receives — and that quality is determined by whether the people around him tell him the truth or tell him what he wants to hear. Machiavelli identifies this as one of the most important problems of command, and he provides a precise solution.
The Problem of Flatterers
Flatterers are not easy to identify because they do not appear as flatterers. They appear as loyal supporters, enthusiastic allies, and agreeable counselors. Their defining characteristic is not that they lie — it is that they calibrate what they say to what the prince appears to want to hear. The information they provide is accurate only when the truth happens to be pleasant.
- Why They SucceedPrinces are disposed to believe information that confirms their existing judgments and to distrust information that contradicts them. The flatterer exploits this disposition by providing confirmation. The honest counselor who contradicts the prince creates discomfort. Over time, the prince surrounds himself with the people who make him comfortable — and eliminates access for those who make him accurate.
- What They ProduceA court full of flatterers is a court that cannot produce accurate assessments. Every decision made in such a court is made from information filtered through what the counselors believe the prince wants to hear. The resulting decisions are optimized for palatability, not for correctness.
Machiavelli's Solution
- Choose Wise MenSelect advisors specifically for their willingness to tell the truth — not for their agreement with the prince's existing positions. The advisor who always agrees is not providing counsel. He is providing confirmation.
- Grant Permission to SpeakMake explicit that honest counsel is not only permitted but required. Advisors will not volunteer uncomfortable truths unless they have clear evidence that doing so will not cost them their position or the prince's favor.
- Ask Specific QuestionsDo not ask advisors for general assessments — ask specific questions about specific matters. General questions produce general answers that can be calibrated to what the questioner wants to hear. Specific questions are harder to flatter around.
- The Prince's ResponsibilityThe prince who receives good counsel and acts on it well deserves the credit — not the counselors. And the prince who receives poor counsel because he has surrounded himself with flatterers has no one to blame but himself. The quality of counsel is the responsibility of the one who selects the counselors.
Good counsel comes from the prince, not from wise men. If the prince is not wise, no counselor can save him — because a prince who is not wise cannot identify wise counsel when he receives it. He will mistake flattery for wisdom and honest assessment for disloyalty. The capacity to receive good counsel is itself a quality of the prince, not a quality of the court.