6 Signs You're Dealing With A Machiavellian & What To Do

Chances are, you have crossed paths with a Machiavellian personality at some point. Maybe it was through a romantic relationship, a workplace encounter, or while listening to a political leader. When confronting a true Machiavellian, adjectives like devious, manipulative, selfish, and unscrupulous may come to mind just as easily as words like charming, ambitious, and inspiring. Admirable qualities are often cloaked by less desirable behaviors, making it hard to know how best to navigate enduring relationships with people who are largely driven by their own personal gain.

Machiavellianism is a personality trait describing someone who is deeply manipulative, prone to lying, and cynical. The term is derived from Niccolo Machiavelli, the Italian Renaissance diplomat and political philosopher best known for his work The Prince, which is a political road map for achieving goals by any means necessary. In modern psychology, Machiavellianism is considered part of what's referred to as the "Dark Triad1" together with psychopathy and narcissism, all of which are personality traits associated with malevolence.

"Machiavellianism, while not an actual clinical term, is used to describe an individual with manipulative tendencies," says therapist Anim Aweh, LCSW. According to Chaye McIntosh, M.S., LCADC, an addictions counselor and clinical director of outpatient services at ChoicePoint, Machiavellians are "deeply centered on cunningness, selfish behavior, manipulativeness, and indifference to morality." She says that at their worst, Machiavellians are attracted to power, money, and control and would do anything to gain all three.

The 1970 book Studies in Machiavellianism by psychologists Richard Christie and Florence Geis mainstreamed the term "Machiavellianism" in the field of psychology. According to Christie and Geis, Machiavellians do not form real bonds or true relationships with others, and they show a lack of concern for conventional morality. Yet, they typically show no signs of gross psychopathology or cognitive deficits.

Aweh says that while there are assessments that help validate licensed mental health professionals' existing inklings about their clients' personality types—including a Machiavellianism test developed by Christie and Geis themselves—she warns nonprofessionals about the dangers of trying to label people. "But what I will say is to look out for the pervasiveness of the said behavior." 

In Studies in Machiavellianism, Christie and Geis formulated a test called the Mach IV, loosely based on excerpts from Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince, to determine high or low Machiavellian traits. The Christie and Geis Mach IV test consists of 20 questions with a total score of 100. People who score over 60 (more affirmative responses to cynicism, deceitfulness, or manipulation) are said to be "High-Machs." They are more likely to demonstrate more deceitful and less empathic traits. Those with lower scores are called "Low-Machs." They can be honest and caring, even characterized as pushovers. However, they might perceive these behaviors to be to their advantage in gaining favor or opportunities to later earn power. Low Machs might also be in situations where they lack power; should those circumstances change, so might their traits.

"There is probably some genetic predisposition toward callous, selfish, and manipulative personality traits. However, early parental influences and home life are probably the deciding factor," writes Dale Hartley, Ph.D., MBA, a retired professor of psychology and author of Machiavellians: Gulling the Rubes, in a 2017 blog post for Psychology Today.

He notes that there is a genetic predisposition toward psychopathy3, but he adds that "a bad start in life can shape even a normal child's personality in that direction. I think the same applies to Machiavellianism."

McIntosh recommends avoidance, if possible. "Staying away from them is the only solution because they have a destructive mindset."

While this might work for relationships you control, like friendships and dating, avoidance might not work in a workplace, for example. In such cases, Aweh advises establishing clear boundaries with a Machiavellian boss. "Also, document the times the boss may violate them. Your boss still has rules to abide by, and you deserve respect."

Focus on your own goals, and be careful about confiding in colleagues who may relay sensitive information back to the Mach. Do not try to outwit them. Instead, practice self-care and establish clear boundaries. It is likely that anyone who is subordinated to a Machiavellian will have to toggle between both stances, picking and choosing battles until the relationship can be safely severed. 

Since Machiavellianism is associated with amoral tendencies and cynicism, it can be hard to associate a true Machiavellian personality with the word "good." Instead, it is best to consider when high-Mach traits are useful and appropriate.

Most people likely have some degree of Machiavellian characteristics or may be considered low-Machs, which means we may have these tendencies but choose not to act on them—or when we do, we feel remorse. Other people may find themselves in difficult circumstances for prolonged periods, which might justify demonstrating Machiavellian tendencies to survive. The continued demonstration of those behaviors in situations that do not merit it, however, is typically when these traits are truly revealed as harmful rather than admirable.

Machiavellians can be deceitful, manipulative, competitive, and cynical. They are excellent long-term planners and strategists. For them, there is no other favorable outcome other than their "win." Their ambition can initially be perceived as admirable but can later turn dark.