Is It Better to Be Feared or Loved?

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Is it better to be feared or loved? This is a famous, controversial quote from the fifteen hundreds from a Renaissance author named Niccolo Machiavelli. Throughout chapter seventeen of Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince, Machiavelli examines why it is better to be feared than loved. “Love conquers all things: let us too surrender to love.” (Virgil, Oct, 5 2012, Similar Quotes: "Love conquers all..."-Pithypedia.com. ) Love is a very powerful feeling in a human being, and is essential to one’s life. Fear is short lived, but love lasts forever. One cannot go through life always being feared by others. It is better to be loved than feared because as Catholics, love is what we strive for, a leader who positively shapes the world is not one who is feared, and during the thirty-year war, the church’s power fell because people feared it. Love will always override fear. Love is a strong quality all human beings need to have in their lives. As Catholics, love is what we strive for in our spiritual lives. Like the Holy Gospel says, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil and cling to what is good.” (Oct 5, 2012, Bible Verses About Love ). Through his doctrines, Jesus teaches us how to love. He teaches us to steer away from evil, and encourage love in ourselves, and love in others. Christ is an excellent example of why it is better to be loved than feared. Throughout Christ’s life, He spread the word of God and God’s love, and even after His death, thousands of years later, He is still the most loved person in the Catholic faith. His teachings are still being spread today worldwide. Christ was not feared as a leader, but loved as a teacher. Many try to be successful by using fear for leadership or success, but love can define one’s personality. Love is the legacy one leaves behind. Christ left His legacy of love here on earth, and we can prove that He was a loving leader

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