Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.

The saying distills a recognizably Machiavellian principle: political and practical success depends less on fixed moral postures than on adaptive judgment. In Machiavelli’s thought, circumstances (often figured as “the times” or fortune) shift unpredictably; a ruler or actor who clings rigidly to one mode of behavior will eventually be outmatched when conditions change. The line therefore praises flexibility—altering tactics, alliances, and even one’s public persona—to maintain effectiveness. It also implies a sober, unsentimental view of human affairs: constancy in outcomes is not achieved by constancy in conduct, but by responsiveness to changing realities.