You are listening to Curiosity Curated. I am Zong.

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 all 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.

The Prince 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 interact—which is why his book has never stopped feeling relevant. It’s an early attempt to look at human beings without illusions. Almost like a doctor describing symptoms, patterns, and stress responses.

Not because he celebrates these things…but because he wants you to stop being surprised by human behavior.

And that’s what I want to explore today: the patterns of human behavior, viewed realistically, that he saw repeated over and over again.

These patterns aren’t moral or immoral. They’re just…human. And once you understand them, your life becomes a little less confusing. You stop being shocked when people disappoint you.You stop assuming others are motivated by the same things you are. And you stop taking things so personally.

But before we dive into those ideas, I want to answer one question that always surfaces when you bring up The Prince: Why does Machiavelli write the way he does? Why so blunt? Why so cold? Why does it sometimes feel like he strips away all the comforting stories we like to tell about ourselves? The answer is not what people think. And understanding this answer changes the way you read the entire book.

00:31 Episode Intro

03:31 Why Machiavelli Writes the Way He Does

05:35 Human Nature Under Uncertainty

06:05 Incentives over Ideals

07:42 Fear vs Love

09:50 Fragmented Loyalty

12:04 People Judge by Outcomes, Not Intentions

13:21 Hope vs Fear as Cognitive Modes

16:43 How People Read Each Other

22:23 Virtù and Fortuna

26:46 Making Choices Under Pressure

28:55 Institutions and Structural Foundations

30:27 Closing Reflection

Sources:

The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

Music:

“Gosh” by Jamie xx

“F Major” by Hania Rani

“saman” by Ólafur Arnalds

“Says” by Nils Frahm

“Emerald Rush” by Jon Hopkins

“Who Am I” by Dario Lupo

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