Machiavellister: When The End Justifies The Means

For Machiavellians  , the best way to deal with people is to flatter them  and tell them what they want to hear. This type of personality shows deep emotional  detachment  combined with a cynical attitude and charisma, making them masters of manipulation and deception. In short, they are high-risk emotional partners.

Anyone who has read  The Prince  by Niccolo Machiavelli will recognize these and many other features in the text. The classical philosopher and politician of the 16th century brought them to life. Machiavelli himself says that in a position of power  it is okay to do away with the virtues with honesty as long as betrayal or betrayal will get you to your goal.

But people do not necessarily have to read Machiavelli to feel (according to them) that the end justifies the means. In fact, they do not even have to be in politics to use this type of strategy.

Machiavellianism is a fairly common personality trait and is part of the clinical psychology known as  the  dark triad. Here, psychopathy, narcissism and Machiavellianism constitute a dangerous and disturbing personality type.

However, it is more common to see these features separately in your daily life, where Machiavellianism is the most common. We will go into more detail below.

Machiavellian lists: were they born or are they created?

Everyone has tricked and manipulated someone into reaching a goal  at some point in their lives. But it is usually a one-time thing, or it may even come from good intentions. Or it is part of a defense or survival mechanism. For example, ” I’ll make that person think this so they can leave me alone and realize I’m not interested in them.”

Machiavellians, however, believe that using people for their own gain is a natural behavior. They often think that people who do not do so are unintelligent. As psychologists Richard Christie and Florence Geis, creators of the  MACH-IV test for Machiavellianism, explain, these people believe that ” a fool is born every minute and you must take advantage of them .”

But while there is no shortage of people in politics who train themselves to use clear, calculated strategies to gain and retain power, we do not meet many today who use these strategies and who naturally see other people as instruments of their own. -gain. Does that mean it is a genetic trait? Are Machiavellians born that way?

Experts say that in some small and isolated cases there is a genetic predisposition to psychopathy. However,  Machiavellianism is largely the result of a poor upbringing, in  which the child imitates his parents.

What are the characteristics of Machiavellians?

Who has not had a boss who is used to getting it his way  and exploiting others for his personal benefit? Maybe you’ve seen it in romantic relationships or even children who blackmail, threaten and treat their classmates badly.

Machiavellians’ mentality abounds and leaves scars. Therefore, it is important to recognize the main characteristics of these people:

• They are very  good at spotting other people’s weaknesses.
• They are good planners who dream of sophisticated strategies for manipulating people. In addition, they are good at saying the right thing at the right time and gaining the person’s  trust.

• They are ambitious and skilled at controlling impulses to achieve maximum benefit. If the goal is worth it, they prefer a larger long-term gain. Thus, they can be very patient.
• They are charismatic, and often act charming and humble.
• They are useful in competitive work environments when it comes to debate, negotiation, etc. But on a personal level, they often do not have fixed or lasting relationships.

How can Machiavellianism be treated?

The hardest part is that  in general machiavellists do not see any problem with the way they are  . They see themselves as very well-functioning, with a high capacity for performance. That’s all that matters to them. Their approach to life is based on utilitarianism and materialism. Therefore, because they do not value emotions, they are rarely aware of how they affect others.

So, in a few cases where the person sees a  psychologist, it is due to pressure from the family or, more commonly, a court order. This personality profile is common among criminals because of their tendency to cheat people.

In general,  the most recommended strategy is cognitive behavioral therapy. With it, the patient can (sometimes) become aware of their behavior. Then they can identify disordered thoughts and feelings and change them. Eventually, they will be able to develop conciliatory, respectful behavior.

To conclude,  only highly experienced professionals should process Machiavellian lists. Only they will be able to identify and disable their skillful tricks of deception and manipulation.