"Un príncipe nunca carece de razones legítimas para romper su promesa."

The core idea here is that leaders or those in power can always find justifications for breaking their promises. It's a bit cynical, suggesting that promises are flexible and that leaders will always prioritize their interests or the situation at hand over their word.

Historically, this phrase is linked to the political theories of Niccolò Machiavelli, an Italian Renaissance political philosopher. He was all about realpolitik—practicality over morality. Back in the 16th century, Italy was a patchwork of warring city-states, and Machiavelli’s advice in "The Prince" was aimed at helping rulers navigate this treacherous landscape. You can imagine why the advice to be adaptable and even ruthless might have been necessary.

Let’s bring this to life with a real-world example. Think of a modern political campaign. A candidate might promise to reduce taxes. But once in office, they might face an unexpected economic crisis. Suddenly, reducing taxes isn’t feasible—it might even be harmful. The leader might then say that their promise was made under different circumstances and that the current situation demands a different approach. They’ve broken their promise, but they’ve got what seems like a legitimate reason.

Now, how can you apply this in your own life? It’s about understanding that flexibility can be necessary. We’re taught to keep our promises no matter what, but sometimes, situations change. Maybe you promised a friend to help them move, but then you catch a bad cold. It’s okay to explain the situation and back out—just be honest and communicate clearly. The trick is to be genuine in your reasoning. If you make a habit of breaking promises without good reasons, people will stop trusting you.

Picture this: You’re a project manager. You’ve promised your team that they won’t need to work weekends. But halfway through the project, the client pushes up the deadline. You have to ask your team to work a Saturday. You explain the situation, acknowledge the broken promise, and maybe even offer extra compensation. The team might not be thrilled, but they’ll understand the reasoning and appreciate your honesty.

In essence, while it's not ideal to break promises, sometimes it’s necessary. The key is to have genuine, understandable reasons and to communicate these clearly. People can be surprisingly forgiving when they know you’re being straight with them.