An advantage to being the kind of prince Machiavelli advises is that such a leader is likely to hold on to power. He will be pragmatic about what people, in reality, are like, and not lose his throne or be disillusioned by adhering to false ideals of what people should be.

On the other hand, to be the kind of leader Machiavelli likes involves certain disadvantages. For example, such a leader must constantly be on alert and expect others to be enemies. He must also be willing to be cruel, and he must sometimes do "inhuman" acts to instill fear and hence allegiance in his followers. As Machiavelli puts it:

it is far safer to be feared than loved.

It may be necessary for such a leader to abandon some of his moral values to maintain power. As Machiavelli writes,

Yet the way men live is so far removed from the way they ought to live that anyone who abandons what is for what should be pursues his downfall rather than his preservation; for a man who strives after goodness in all his acts is sure to come to ruin, since there are so many men who are not good.

Machiavelli also argues that a prince must maintain a strong army and constantly be ready for war. For those who do not enjoy bloodshed, this could be too a high price to pay for ruling. For some, the costs of maintaining power in the terms Machiavelli sets out might violate their sense of self.