Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince to advise rulers on how to gain and maintain political power. He argues that it is better for a ruler to be feared than loved by the people, as love is unstable while fear relies on the ruler's strength. Machiavelli asserts that a prudent ruler cannot and should not honor his word when it is no longer useful or threatens his security, as the goals of a ruler are to maintain control and the well-being of the state above all else. He believes a ruler must know how to use both humanity and cruelty depending on the needs of the time in order to effectively govern.