Machiavellian intelligence: definition and characteristics

The end justifies the means? According to Machiavellian intelligence, this is at least partly true. But before continuing, did you know that the phrase at the beginning of this article attributed to Nicolás Machiavelli is not really his? The truth is that Napoleon Bonaparte wrote it on the last page of one of his favorite books, Princethe work of this famous Italian writer.

And now that we have broken the ice with this anecdote, it is time to begin fully with the topic. Is it true that any means is good to achieve an end? A Machiavellian intelligence will tell you yes. But how do we know if we are dealing with this type of personality? Let’s see what it consists of and what characterizes it.

What is Machiavellian intelligence?

Machiavellian intelligence refers to complex social strategies. Actions with which an individual tries to maximize his or her success directly or indirectly. To do this, he will resort to the use of cooperative or combative behaviors, choosing the one he thinks can give him the greatest possibilities of adaptation depending on the situation.

However, It is important not to confuse this term with Machiavellianism in social psychology.. In this case, we would talk about a social behavior strategy in which manipulation comes into play for one’s own benefit and, generally, against the interest of others.

Be that as it may, this type of intelligence is born from what was once a political doctrine. So that, Machiavelli’s theses were so useful that they have given rise to new theories, studies and characteristics to explore human behavior.

The characteristics of Machiavellian intelligence

At this point, let’s get to know What characterizes a Machiavellian intelligence?. However, a person who enjoys it may not show all of these characteristics, but some of them.

In general, They can even be defined as trends or generalities that will appear isolated or in company depending on each individual, their personality and their social environment.

Obification of the human being

It is very possible that a Machiavellian personality presents certain sociopathic traits, since it is very difficult for him or he is unable to empathize with other people. However, this characteristic is not always shown to its most extreme degree.

By having a diminished ability to connect with others, they create a clear division between themselves and the rest, whom they can reify to varying degreessince emotionally there is no connection.

Ability to detect human weaknesses

A Machiavellian intelligence has a high ability to find other people’s weaknesses. Once they have located them, they will use this information for their own benefit.

Let’s look at this feature in a simple example. A Machiavellian person will make friends with someone with a good public image to climb socially. taking advantage of the relationship. He will also adapt his behavior to the variations that occur: he will be able to cut off this friendship if the “friend” stops enjoying a good reputation.

Tendency to manipulate others

In line with the previous characteristic, many of the strategies you use will involve using others as mere instruments. Furthermore, as he is aware that his way of acting is not well considered, he will try to be very careful that the other realizes his true intentions. Thus, for example, he will not hesitate to affirm that he forgot to do what he promised in reciprocity when he has achieved what he intended. He may even turn the situation around and accuse others of being interested.

impulse control

They are not very impulsive people, although Sometimes they hide precisely in impulses to justify their behavior. It is part of his theater. In reality, most of his actions are planned and have a measured, clear and defined objective.

ambitious goals

They usually show personalities considered highly intelligent. Thus They always look for very ambitious goals, to which they dedicate a lot of time and effort. Their machinations focus on taking advantage of other people for their own benefit, so all their plans are drawn up to obtain a goal that they consider high. Once they have acted, they usually have a good dose of patience to wait for the results and will rarely get nervous.

Focus on the long term

Being patient and intelligent makes them feel comfortable making plans with long-term results.. Often their goals are projected into a relatively distant future, since they are aware that their objectives are important, require complex actions and they know that for everything to go well they must avoid impulsiveness, think coldly and in long terms.

Furthermore, Machiavellian intelligence is also characterized by the lack of regrets and the constant development of plans. Do you know someone like that? Hopefully this information helps you recognize it and prevent you from ending up being a victim of their plans.

You might be interested…