Machiavellianism and the dark triad of personality

In the sixteenth century, Nicolás Machiavelli published a political treaty that changed the way in which the following generations understood politics to this day. We talk about "The PRIncipe”, A work in which the author shows his political vision sitting his bases and explaining those psychological and behavioral aspects that make a leader successful. Following this publication, the concept of "Machiavellianism" is born, a term associated with manipulative and strategic personality. Today, from a psychological perspective we analyze the features and characteristics of Machiav peopleandLicas.

Content

• The Prince of Machiavelli
• What is Machiavellism?
• Characteristics of Machiavellians
• The dark triad of personality
  • Links of interest

The Prince of Machiavelli

Until the publication of "El Príncipe", the policy had been idealized and enhanced by a philosophical vision of it, however, for the first time, Machiavelli shows a totally different face of power, a revolutionary vision in its proclamation, perhaps more honest , in which morality and ethics remain in the background when there are certain interests. "You never try to win by force what can be won by the lie," explained the author among many other lessons.

With this influential and controversial work, the name of Machiavelli was connected to a concept whose meaning is associated with manipulation, cunning and deception: the Machiavellianism, A term that centuries later is still used to determine the features of certain people.

What is Machiavellism?

Psychologically speaking, Machiavellism is a term that refers to a personality feature that denotes a Absolute prioritization towards their own interests, a preference such that people come to see others as means to achieve ends and for this do not hesitate to manipulate and exploit others at will to get those goals. The vision of the Machiavellian person is completely strategic and succumbs to personal interests above empathy or consideration towards others.

Some investigations have proven that Machiavellian people can understand the emotions and feelings of others, but they are able to put them aside when it comes to achieving success. While traits such as psychopathy or narcissism are associated with higher levels of behavioral activation, maquiavellism is associated rather to inhibition, that is, unlike in the previous cases, maquiavelic people usually possess retracted and more cognitive behaviors What emotional.

This fits with the profile of the cunning and strategist individual that we can observe in popular stories, both in reality and fiction. Some fictitious characters with Machiavellian personality that may be familiar to you are Viscount Valmont in the novel "The dangerous friendships”, Tony soprano in the soprano or Lord Baelish, aka the picnic in game of thrones. Manipulative characters who do not hesitate to skip any normal moral to get their selfish interests.

Characteristics of Machiavellians

• Excessive focus on their own ambitions and interests
• Charming and safe appearance
• Prioritize money or power before personal relationships
• Exploit and manipulate others to get ahead
• Lying when necessary
• Lack of ethical principles and social values
• Use the flattery
• They are often difficult to meet in depth
• They normally have a cynical attitude towards morality
• They have low levels of empathy although they understand the feelings of others
• They usually avoid emotional attachment and commitment but seek casual encounters
• They are usually patient people
• To identify their own emotions they can have difficulties

Given these characteristics, some of these signs and situations are more consistent with this type of personalities:

• Machiavellian people develop much better in social works and situations in which the rules and limits are not clear and strict.
• They usually use manipulation tactics such as superficial charm, friendly behavior or self -evidence, subtle tactics that manage to mask true intentions being also an excuse in the face of rejection. But in some situations, threats and psychological pressure can also use.
• The emotional distance and cynical vision causes them to know how to better control their impulses.
• They are usually chosen in competitive situations such as negotiations or debates, but they are not normally desired friends or colleagues.

The dark triad of personality

The terms are often confused narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellism, Being quite similar features that are part of the call Dark triad. The dark triad is a psychological concept that calls this set of personality traits that act from the same axis in which selfishness, lack of empathy and egocentrism. However, each of these traits denotes behaviors and ways of being different.

In the psychopathy feature, the damage to others can be sought for the simple pleasure of damaging or even for the search for emotions, but the Machiavellian person usually has a specific purpose that he intends to achieve and this serves as the basis to act in this way.

A Machiavellian person does not have to be narcissistic and vice versa, although it is also very possible that a person present the two features to some extent, since these two characteristics can be found in Psychopathic personalities. Narcissism is based on personal ego, on a distorted vision of oneself that makes the person feel above any other.

In Machiavellianism, the version of oneself is much more realistic and manipulation is sought with the ultimate goal of winning, above any person. While narcissism is somewhat more emotional and even impulsive, Machiavellism is more distanced from emotions and the person is not so interested in excessive attention or delirium of greatness as in achieving its ends. A Machiavellian person is something like a "Master of manipulation”And not for that reason his vision of himself is excessively high.

Links of interest

• Meet The Machiavelians. Give him Hartley. 2015. https: // www.psychologytody.com/US/Blog/Machiavelians-Gulling-The-Rubes/201509/Meet-The-Machiavelians.
• What is machiavelianism? Harley Therapy. 2015. https: // www.Harleytherapy.co.UK/Counselling/Machiavelianism-Psychology.htm
• Machiavelianism, Cognition, and Emotion: Understanding How The Machiavelian Thinks, Feels, and Thrives. Ben Taylor. 2018. https: // psychcentral.com/LIB/Machiavelianism-Cognition-And-Emotion-Inderstanding-How-The-Machiavelian-Thinks-Feels-And-Thrives/
• Are you mystaking machiavelianism for narcissism?. 2016. https: // www.counsciousrethink.com/3534/Mistaking-Machiavelianism-Narcissism/