It is quite odd that people would question whether Niccolò Machiavelli himself was a Machiavellian. Best known as the author of "The Prince", his infamous writings have become an established milestone in the history of Western thought; as the word 'Machiavellian' suggests – he himself has come to be regarded as the typical proponent of a hard-nosed power politician. Although Machiavelli is known for preaching ways to become a Machiavellian, he himself may not be classified himself under the term because of how the word 'Machiavellian' is used today. .
Born on May 3, 1469, in Florence, Italy, Niccolò Machiavelli was a diplomat for 14 years in Italy's Florentine Republic during the Medici family's exile. When the Medici family returned to power in 1512, Machiavelli was dismissed and briefly thrown in jail. He then wrote "The Prince", a handbook for politicians on the use of ruthlessness, selfishness, and being cunning, which ultimately inspired the term "Machiavellian" to be created and establishing Machiavelli as the "father of modern political theory." Though it was not the best of times for him, it gave Machiavelli time to widen his belief on politics. During that time he read book on Roman history and political treatises. "The main theme of this short work is about monarchal rule and survival is man's capacity for determining his own destiny in opposition to the power of fate, which has been interpreted as the political philosophy that one may resort to any means in order to establish and preserve total authority" ("Niccolò Machiavelli Biography."). The book is close to the bible in showing how politics should be ran. .
If Niccolò Machiavelli wrote "The Prince" then there should not be any question that he is the reflection of a Machiavellian. Machiavellian is now a term used to describe ruthless politics, cunning manipulation, and a whole host of other negative practices.
