Machiavellian people: 8 traits that characterize them

Machiavellianism is a concept that refers to a distinction between the strategies used to achieve certain ends and morality. The famous phrase "the purpose justifies the means" captures well the essence of this idea..

However, Machiavellianism does not have to be seen only as the political doctrine that it originally was: you can also use this concept to explore people's behavior patterns and ultimately recognize certain characteristics that define people Machiavellian.

The Machiavellian personality in 8 traits

There is no single criterion by which we can classify the different types of personality: on the one hand we have the 8 personality types according to Carl Jung and the Myers-Briggs indicator, which are so ambiguous in their categories and concepts that they are not useful, and on the other hand we have personality tests with more scientific support such as 16pf.

But, beyond these personality tests that can be applied to anyone, it is possible to detect some trends and generalities that define very specific personality types.

In this case we will see what are the characteristics of Machiavellian people.

1. Objectification of people

Machiavellian people can be because they tend to empathize less than normal with other people. That is, they present certain traits of sociopathy, although these do not have to be very extreme.

Since they do not connect emotionally with others, they can interact with others as if all those who are not themselves were resources to be squeezed at some point. In this way, a division is created between subject (oneself) and object (others).

2. Ease of detecting other people's weaknesses

Machiavellian people They are skilled at detecting the weaknesses of each person's personality and taking advantage of them for their own benefit.. For example, someone who extremely values ​​her public image will likely be used by a Machiavellian person to advance socially by earning her friendship, and at the same time, you will find key moments to force the other person to behave in a certain way to maintain the good social image of her without it looking like a blackmail.

3. The tendency towards manipulative strategies

This point is derived from the previous one. As Machiavellian people empathize little and devote much of their attention to detecting other people's weaknesses, are constantly devising ways to manipulate others for their own benefit. That is to say, they do something similar to what an engineer who programs a robot would do: create the conditions for the other to move towards a goal that one has imposed on him.

• Related article: "The 8 types of manipulators: how does each act?"

4. Impulse control

Unlike what happens in cases of sociopathy, one of the features of the psychopathic tendency of Machiavellian people consists of almost total control over what is done constantly. A good part of their actions respond to a plan, which re constitutes that strategy separate from morality.

This characteristic is also associated with high intelligence.

5. They have ambitious goals

Machiavellian people can spend a lot of time and effort figuring out how to take advantage of what others are doing, and that is why they set ambitious goals, with great value for them. In the end, nobody makes plans to get something simple and that can easily be bought in the store next door.

6. Long-term focus

Related to the previous section, this refers to the fact that the goals of this type of people they are located in a distant place in time. It is the price that must be paid for setting important goals that can be achieved only by developing a series of complex actions.

In addition, this characteristic distinguishes Machiavellian people from impulsive people who are used to giving in to their desires at the expense of the well-being of others.

7. Lack of regrets

When Machiavellian people do something that hurts others, they do not feel bad about it, because it is considered to be a consequence of the action plan that has been developed. In other words, they don't even have to think about it, and they usually ignore that facet of reality that they have directly helped to build. After all, little regard for the well-being of others is almost a habit, something you are used to.

8. They constantly develop plans

As Machiavellian people are predisposed to cause discomfort in others without suffering for it, it can be said that They have a range of options and decisions that in the rest of the people are constrained by the morality that guides their Actions. That is why he exploits this characteristic of hers by scheming and doing what others avoid doing so as not to fall into a cognitive dissonance That would undermine their self-esteem.