Machiavellianism is one of the three personality traits that make up the so-called dark triad, which also includes narcissism and psychopathy. Those who have a Machiavellian personality They are characterized by being cynical, opportunistic, unprincipled and by their lack of empathy towards others.
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Machiavellians use interpersonal manipulation as the key to success in life and act true to the idea that «the end justifies the means.» They often use others as a means to get what they want, deceive and manipulate people into acting in their interests, and don’t care if they have to step over them in the process.
The following are some signs that may indicate that someone has Machiavellian tendencies:
– Lack of empathy: Machiavellian people are usually indifferent to the feelings and needs of others, since they do not mind using them and even hurting them in order to achieve their goals.
– Handling: They tend to be very skilled in manipulating people and creating situations that favor them. They know how to create the necessary conditions for the other to move towards where the Machiavellian wants and act as it suits him in each case.
– Lack of regrets: When Machiavellian people do something that harms others, they do not feel bad about it, because they consider that this is a consequence of their action plan, they see it as a necessary evil, and many times, not even as an evil, but as Just “collateral damage”.
– They cheat, lie and use information in their favor: Machiavellians understand that having information is useful. They do not usually share the information they obtain with others, unless doing so results in something favorable for themselves. They can manipulate information that would otherwise be irrelevant and are very clever at taking information out of context to gain some benefit.
– Calculating mind: They have a cold and calculating mind. They are always thinking how to gain advantage and take advantage of a situation.
– Selfishness: Machiavellian people have an egotistical perspective, in which they only care about themselves and see others as tools to achieve what they want.
– Narcissism: They tend to have a high sense of their own importance and believe they are superior to others.
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– Excessive ambition: They constantly seek power and influence, even if it means harming others.
– Competence: Machiavellians are very competitive, so they see everyone as an adversary, but they are willing to take a back seat if it benefits them to do so. They are sensitive to power dynamics in social contexts and can alternate between cooperative and competitive tactics, depending on what they seek and can obtain in each case.
– Easy to detect the weaknesses of others and take advantage of them for their own benefit: They know how to detect the weak points of each person and find a way to take advantage of them to benefit from them, either by blackmailing that doesn’t seem like it or by making the other person act at their convenience.
– They focus on the long term: In general, the goals of this type of people are located in a distant place in time, because the objectives that are set are usually large and important, so they can only be achieved by achieving a series of complex actions. they develop.
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How to deal with Machiavellians in your daily life
The ideal would be to avoid these types of people, because staying away from them is the only solution, because they have a destructive mentality.
But if this is not possible, either because the Machiavellian is part of your close family, your partner or a co-worker from whom it is not in your power to move away or completely cut off contact, the most important thing is to establish clear boundaries with that person to prevent their words and actions from affecting youin addition to reducing contact to a minimum, that is, «the further, the better».
Focus on your own goals and your well-being, and pay close attention to the words and actions of someone you have detected as a Machiavellian, to avoid falling into their manipulation games or being used to achieve their ends.
At work, be careful about confiding in colleagues who are prone to spreading rumors and confidential information at the slightest provocation, because everything you tell them they can go and tell others, if that suits them; Or, they can use it for their own benefit, by discovering your weak points and thus finding a way to manipulate you more easily.
The best thing when dealing with Machiavellian people at work is to limit the relationship to only the most essential things that you need to deal with them to carry out your activities and reduce conversations exclusively to the work field.
Avoid sharing personal topics with them, issues related to the way you feel at work or complaints about bosses or other colleagues, since they may find a way to use everything you say to their advantage, regardless of whether you affect you or others.
As with any hurtful situation, if you must interact with a Machiavellian on a day-to-day basis, it is important that you focus on ways that you can protect your mental health for the duration of the relationship, and If things get very complicated or their actions begin to affect you directly and seriously, it is best to get out of that relationship as soon as possible.