Summarize Machiavelli's view of human nature?

Niccolo Machiavelli’s views of human nature strongly influenced his recommendations for governing. The Prince is a handbook for how one should rule. It is, by nature, cynical regarding the nature of man, as the author’s perceptions were shaped by his observations of the Medici family and by his victimization at the hands of the powerful. He wrote his handbook as an exercise in analyzing the attributes that defined a great ruler, which was one who prevailed by virtue of his ability to survive. Machiavelli held a decidedly negative view of human nature, one in which people existed to serve the interests of the powerful, who nevertheless had to manage through a carefully calibrated balance of violence and benevolence. He viewed the masses as pliable, but difficult to control over time. In Chapter VI, he wrote, "the nature of the people is variable, and whilst it is easy to persuade them, it is difficult to fix them in that persuasion," an indication of his belief in the necessity of managing one’s rule so as to be ready to adapt to changing circumstances.