Machiavellian Humility

I haven't read any Machiaveli but apparently he wrote, "In life, leave atleast 50% to chance, the rest, is cunning." Now, what is embarassing is probably the fact that it is so utterly correct. To be called machiavellian is not something that one would look favourably upon, but I must say, that aforementioned statement is jarring only because of how brutally honest it is.

Compare this to the typical businessman, politician or actor who attributes most of his success to "hard work" and "god's grace". While we are wont to associate a person who, on having achieved some success in his/her profession, by some measure in comparision to his peers, attributes all of it to God, with the attribute of humility.

What is also implied in this admission, is the hidden proclamation that god "chose" them. Attributing it to chance would mean that they were just lucky, it might just as likely been you standing there instead of them... but attributing it to God, now, that shows that they must be deserving of that in some manner. For as you have heard so many times before, "god does not play dice." This would then suggest that these people have something that distinguishes them from the rest of us lesser beings - some measure of virtue or character that leads God to fawn on them, rather than us.

Now compare this to successful 'Machiavellian', who says, "Half of it was just dumb luck."

Personally, I'd choose Machiavellian humility over the godly version anyday, won't you?