How Machiavellian are You?

As I have stated in previous blogs one of the greatest strengths of the 7MTf/Humm-Wadsworth is that it incorporates the Hustler as one of its seven components. The Hustler is driven by the desire for material success and is flexible, charming, and potentially ruthless in achieving his or her goals.

Niccolo Machiavelli is generally credited as being the first write to promote the doctrine that the end not only justifies the means, but that a person’s actions can only be properly judged through their outcomes. Neither intentions nor ideals are important except in so far as they allow people to reach their goals. Thus while much writing on leadership advises people to take the high road, Machiavelli said that leaders can succeed by less scrupulous means. This has led to a definition of a “Machiavellian” personality as a person who is determined to achieve their goals, no matter what. Machiavellianism is now often grouped with two other personality traits: narcissism, and psychopathy and the three are known as the Dark Triad:

• Narcissism is characterized by grandiosity, pride, egotism, and a lack of empathy.
• Machiavellianism is characterized by manipulation and exploitation of others; a cynical disregard for morality, and a focus on self-interest and deception.
• Psychopathy is characterized by enduring antisocial behaviour, impulsivity, selfishness, callousness, and remorselessness.

The above is a great checklist for the Hustler. Note this is a spectrum component – we all have some Hustler within our personality. What ameliorates the component is how much Normal we also have – which again is a spectrum component but that fortunately increases as we age. The Normal is driven by the desire for order and determines how law-abiding we are.

Today Psychtests.com has just released a new test to determine how much Machiavellianism you have in your personality. You can read the press release Social Butterfly, Master Manipulator – PsychTests’ Study Reveals The Dark Side Of Social Insight here. The thrust of the article is that Social Insight, a key factor in emotional intelligence, is largely considered a valuable skill. Being able to perceptively and accurately appraise people and anticipate what they might say or do allows a person to adjust their own behaviour and social approach accordingly. However Social Insight, if not complemented by empathy and a strong sense of social responsibility, can lead to dishonest, deceptive, and manipulative behaviour.

The article is worth reading but best part is a link to the new test they have developed which measures the degree of Machiavellianism in your personality. If you want to find out if you have a touch of Machiavellianism go here. While the first part is subjective there are an excellent set of mini-case studies at the end.

I scored 60 out of 100 with the following comment.

You are not a full-blooded Machiavellian, but do share some of the traits of this personality type. This may be a function of your world view: While you consider it important to conduct yourself with integrity, you also recognize that sometimes, you need to look after yourself and perhaps even be a little under-handed. It’s well and good to take the high road, but sometimes, you may feel that being selfish, or at least self-preserving, is necessary. You are likely resourceful, and have a reasonably good understanding of human nature.

This is an assessment I am happy with.