Machiavellianism is a personality trait marked by strategic manipulation, a cynical view of people and a focus on your own advantage. Someone high in the trait, often called a “high Mach”, treats social life as a game of moves, alliances and leverage.
| At a glance | Machiavellianism |
|---|---|
| Part of | The Dark Triad |
| Core motive | Gaining advantage through planning and influence |
| Key features | Manipulation, cynicism, cool emotional distance |
| Named after | Niccolo Machiavelli, Florentine diplomat (1469 to 1527) |
| Opposite tendency | Kantianism and faith in humanity |
Where The Term Comes From
Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513 as advice for rulers. Its frank argument that a leader may need deceit and cruelty to keep power made his name a byword for cunning.
In 1970, psychologists Richard Christie and Florence Geis turned the idea into a measurable trait. They adapted statements from Machiavelli’s writing into a questionnaire, the Mach IV, and found that people differed widely in how much they agreed with views like “the best way to handle people is to tell them what they want to hear”.
The Three Building Blocks
Researchers generally describe Machiavellianism as a blend of:
- Manipulative tactics. Flattery, deception and playing people against each other.
- A cynical worldview. The belief that others are selfish, weak or gullible, so manipulating them is fair game.
- Pragmatic morality. Ends justify the means; rules are tools rather than principles.
How High Machs Think And Act
| Situation | Typical high Mach response |
|---|---|
| A new team | Works out who holds power and builds ties with them |
| A negotiation | Keeps emotions hidden and reveals little |
| A rule that blocks them | Looks for the loophole, or breaks it quietly if the risk is low |
| A colleague’s mistake | Remembers it for later use |
| Praise | Uses it strategically, not spontaneously |
Christie and Geis found in lab games that high Machs “won” more often when situations were face to face, rules were loose and emotions were running high, because they stayed cool while others got caught up.
Machiavellianism Versus Psychopathy
The two traits overlap heavily, and some researchers argue they are hard to separate. The traditional difference is time horizon:
- Machiavellians plan, wait and protect their reputation.
- People high in psychopathy act on impulse and take risks for immediate reward.
Research by Daniel Jones and Delroy Paulhus supports this: high Machs are more likely to avoid behaviour that could damage them in the long run.
Does Machiavellianism Pay Off?
Sometimes, in the short term. Political skill and coolness under pressure can help in competitive settings. But meta-analyses link high Machiavellianism with lower job performance ratings, more workplace deviance and weaker relationships. Once people spot the manipulation, trust collapses and is hard to rebuild.
Explore Machiavellianism Further
See your own score in the Dark Triad test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Machiavellianism a mental disorder?
No. It is a personality trait, not a clinical diagnosis. It has no equivalent in psychiatric manuals.
Did Machiavelli himself have the trait?
We cannot know. Many historians read The Prince as a realistic description of politics rather than a personal creed.
Are high Machs intelligent?
Studies find little or no link between Machiavellianism and IQ. High Machs are not smarter; they are more willing to use manipulation.
For education only. Personality traits are not diagnoses.