Machiavellian Personality: Its Characteristics and How to Deal With It

You may have never heard of the Machiavellian personality, but you must have dealt with it without knowing.

So follow along with us in this article to get to know the Machiavellian personality, and what are its characteristics? And how do you deal with it?

What is a Machiavellian personality?

• Machiavellianism refers to self-seeking, which is a group of immoral behaviors based on lies, opportunism, misleading, deceit, ridicule, and control of others in order to achieve a specific goal or personal interest. Machiavellianism is one of the behaviors that is socially and morally unacceptable, and threatens societies, human relations and their stability.
• As for the Machiavellian personality in psychology, it is a personality disorder that pushes the affected person to focus on their goal and interest only, which makes this person an opportunist and a self-seeker that pursues all acceptable and unacceptable means and methods in order to achieve their interest, even at the expense of others and their feelings. A Machiavellian personality causes its owner many problems in their life and personal and professional relationships, and although it earns them the reverence of others, it makes them lose their love and respect.
• Machiavellianism in psychology is also considered one of the poles of the "dark triad" along with narcissism and psychopathy.
• We may find the Machiavellian personality in any field of life. One of the parents may be a Machiavellian; they deal with cruelty, authority, and selfishness with their family, and prioritize their interest over the interests of their children and partner.
• A Machiavellian may be a colleague at work, who follows the method of exploitation and stabbing in the back, and courtship and closeness to the director in order to reach their interests.
• A Machiavellian personality disorder is common among politicians and rulers. In order to preserve power, no matter how crooked and dishonest the methods are. Machiavellianism abounds among men more than women.

The reason for naming it by this name

Certainly, when we hear of a Machiavellian personality, the first thing that comes to our minds is the reason for calling it by this name. The term Machiavellianism dates back to the fifteenth century in relation to the Italian philosopher, diplomat and historian "Niccolò Machiavelli", who was born in Italy in 1469 AD, and entered the world of politics at the age of 29, and was appointed Minister of Defense in Florence, and was famous for his extremist views, manipulation and cunning to achieve his goals.

In his book “The Prince”, which he wrote in 1513 AD, he showed the ideal ruler as a tyrant and authoritarian, and the ruler has the right to take any measures, even if they were arbitrary and immoral, to reach his goal. The book was banned from publication and was not published until 50 years after the death of Machiavelli.

Notable quotes from the book

1. “The end justifies the means”.
2. “The love of oneself is more important than the love of one's country”.
3. “It is far safer to be feared than loved by people if one cannot be both”.
4. “Religion is necessary for governments, not for the sake of virtue, but for the imposition of dominion over the people”.
5. “Violence must be inflicted once for all; people will then forget what it tastes like and so be less resentful. Benefits must be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better”.
6. “He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command”.
7. “It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver”.
8. “If an injury has to be done to a man, it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.”
9. “One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves”.
10. “Before all else, be armed”.
11. “You can be honorable at times and dishonest at others”.
12. “Your appearance as a virtuous person is useless".
13. “It is a common fault not to anticipate storms when the sea is calm”.
14. “People do not forget the virtue of those from whom they expect evil”.

Machiavellian personality characteristics

There is a set of characteristics that make you discover a Machiavellian personality, namely:

1. One of the most prominent characteristics of a Machiavellian person is following the slogan “the end justifies the means”, abandoning their conscience in return for achieving their interest, and following all methods to achieve their goal while ignoring all ethical, human or value considerations.
2. A Machiavellian person is known as an exploiter; they take advantage of all the people or situations that stand in their way to serve their interests.
3. Arrogance, conceit, and dealing with superiority.
4. A Machiavellian is a self-seeker who is adept at exploiting others, being able to manipulate, cunning, and deception without any guilt. On the contrary, they see that as intelligence and sophistication, and find justifications for themselves.
5. A Machiavellian person gives priority to money and power, disregarding any human emotions or relationships.
6. A Machiavellian person is suspicious of the intentions of others and never assumes goodwill, rather, they are convinced that everyone has an evil side that they will bring out when they get the chance.
7. A Machiavellian person often hides anxiety, psychological fragility, and insecurity behind their strength and tyranny.
8. A Machiavellian person has a knack for evading responsibility and shifting it onto others.
9. Inability to empathize with others or feel their feelings and needs.
10. Lack of satisfaction or contentment, as a Machiavellian personality always seeks perfection, like having the best car and the best house.
11. Not caring about principles and values such as honesty and noble work. Rather, they mock goodness and morality, and view people who believe in principles as stupid.
12. Ambiguity and not expressing what is inside them honestly, and adopting more than one personality, and not trusting others.
13. A Machiavellian person has trouble dealing with even the closest people to them, with their family or partner, because they do not know altruism and do not think about anything other than their interest or benefit.
14. A Machiavellian person does not seek to build a relationship with someone unless there is an interest to be achieved from them.
15. Excessive self-admiration, a sense of distinction from others, and a tendency to control them.
16. Exaggerating in praising themselves and their accomplishments.
17. A Machiavellian person uses hypocrisy, courtesy, and flattery to get what they want.
18. A Machiavellian person is patient and calm in getting what they want.
19. A Machiavellian person justifies using others to reach their goal by saying that others are naive and they are the smartest and they have the right to use those others.
20. Tendency to casual relationships and avoid commitment.
21. A Machiavellian personality feels depressed and anxious when they do not get what they want.
22. A Machiavellian personality avoids taking risks as much as possible and likes everything to be accurately calculated.

Causes of Machiavellian personality disorder

1. The causes of Machiavellian personality disorder are still not known precisely, but psychologists attribute the cause to the environment in which the person lived and the style of family upbringing. Excessive pampering and teaching the child that everything they want is answered makes the child an arrogant and a selfish person who does not understand the idea of not getting what they want. They are willing to do anything to get what they want.
2. On the contrary, a family upbringing based on violence, reprimand and intimidation may lead to a reverse reaction in the child, making them violent and ready to burn the world to achieve what they want.
3. The harsh conditions that a person is exposed to and the many traumas of treachery and betrayal from others lead to a person's negative reaction, and the growth of hatred within them that pushes them to take revenge and exploit others and not show any sympathy for them and think about their interest without regard for anything else.
4. Greed for money and power, weak self-confidence and internal defeat, and compensating it with arrogance.

How do you deal with a Machiavellian person?

Dealing with a Machiavellian person is not easy at all. Rather, it requires a lot of awareness and attention, and these are the most important tips that you must follow when dealing with a Machiavellian person:

1. Avoid clashing with them or accusing them of opportunism and immorality, because their reaction will be to laugh and mock you, and it does not matter as long as they get what they want.
2. Avoid showing your annoyance with them or the suffering you feel because of them, as they see this as a weakness and a weapon to use against you.
3. Do not bother arguing with them about principles and morals, as you probably will not get any results.
4. Be wary of them and alert to all their actions, as they are gifted with opportunism, hypocrisy and treachery.
5. Do not trust a Machiavellian person, no matter how much they promise you. Rather, always ask for guarantees and witnesses.
6. Learn to say “no” to a Machiavellian person, because whenever you are obedient to them, they continue to exploit you, so defend your rights and confront them forcefully and complain and accuse them if necessary.
7. Maintain your emotional stability and self-confidence in front of a Machiavellian person. This protects you from them and makes them think before approaching you.
8. Do not feel safe from their side, no matter how they tempt you and sell sweet words to you, and always keep the conversation short with them, and do not inform them of your secrets and privacies or your goals and future plans, because they will not hesitate to use them for their own good.
9. Be careful not to treat them the same way. By following the same method of hypocrisy, treachery and exploitation with them, you will only make the matter worse and lose yourself and your principles.
10. Do not neglect to warn others of a Machiavellian person and alert them to their danger.
11. Set limits and rules for your relationship with a Machiavellian person, and be decisive with them if they cross them.

The most famous Machiavellian characters in the world of novels and films

1. Iago: One of the characters in Shakespeare's play “Othello”.
2. Tom Ripley: One of the characters in the series of novels written by Patricia Highsmith.
3. Lord Varys and Lord Baelish: Two of the characters in the famous series “Game of Thrones”.
4. Tony Soprano: One of the characters in the series “The Sopranos”.
5. Francis Urquhart: One of the characters in the serious “House of Cards”.
6. Rebecca Sharp: Vanity Fair.
7. Sir Francis Walsingham: One of the characters in the movie “Elizabeth”, directed by Shekhar Kapurs.

In conclusion

It is not a shame for a person to think in their interest, but the fault is when a person is a Machiavellian, as they lose their humanity, principles and values, and justify any means they follow for the sake of their goal and interest. Machiavellianism must be rejected in all its forms under any circumstances, as it turns societies into a forest in which the strong eat the weak.