What Is Machiavellianism

Introduction: “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both” (Machiavelli 1532 p. 58). Many have no doubt heard this quote in some form over the years but few probably have examined what the quote really means. Niccola Machiavelli, the Italian author of said quote put it something like this: fear and love are two key components in leadership. If your constituents love you or fear you they will follow you. However, he said it is better to be feared than loved because it is easier to produce and maintain fear than to produce and maintain love. A quote from one of Machiavelli’s works The Prince reiterates a common theme “...love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every …show more content…
His work The Prince offers psychological ideas that go hand in hand with his political philosophy. Quotes such as, “Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.” (Machievelli 1532 p.37) and “…he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.” (Machiavelli 1532 p.63), stress the importance of cunning and deception to achieve personal goals. It is for this reason that Machiavellianism is painted in a negative light and he is known in psychological circles as part of the “Dark Triad”(Hartely 2015). It is hard to argue with this assertion. When manipulation of people is involved it usually is done out of personal interests that are seen as better or more important than those of the people being manipulated. Yet under observation, it appears most of the rhetoric in The Prince lines up more closely with the INTJ personality type, as opposed to those of a narcissist or a sociopath. Narcissism and being a sociopath are personality disorders that produce socially negative results including a bloated ego and empathy toward others (Christie, Geis, 1970). In reading The Prince, it is hard to find evidence of avocation of either disorder as both disorders would also hinder anyone’s ability to follow Machiavelli’s doctrine. Unlike sociopaths and narcissists who are often marginal, high Machs are usually well integrated into …show more content…
INTJs are typically independent decisive thinkers driven by logic that thrive on producing and improving ideas through cunning and will. INTJs despise the status-quo believing anything can be improved or achieved with enough effort. However, INTJs are also normally arrogant, judgmental and tend to be over analytical at times (16 personalities 2017). The Prince emphasizes these values as the book outlines a philosophy going against the status-quo while doings so with INTJ-esc tactics in doings so. INTJs tend to manipulate and they are seen as charming. These are typical traits applauded by Machiavelli. They also believe that anything is possible through willpower. This idea was also supported by Machiavelli in this quote from The Prince, “Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.” (Machiavelli 1532 p. 82). Yet, INTJs usually believe that most people are too lazy, unintelligent, or narrow minded to have high achievement. This outlook results in a rather cynical view of human nature. This thought is also supported in The Prince with the quote, “He who builds on the people, builds on the mud” (Machievelli 1532 p. 70). Hence, Machiavellianism appears to align more with the INTJ personality type than that of it’s more disordered “Dark Triad” counterparts. The Journal for Applied social Psychology agrees with