Machiavellianism (personality trait)

What Machiavellianism means

In everyday English, calling someone Machiavellian means they're cunning or scheming, usually in politics or at work. In psychology the word is more neutral. It names a trait that everyone has in some amount, from very low to very high.

Researchers usually describe three parts. First, a cynical view of people: the sense that most people look out for themselves. Second, a willingness to use tactics such as flattery or holding back information. Third, a focus on results over fixed rules about right and wrong.

A person low in the trait tends to take people at their word and say what they want. A person high in it reads the room, thinks a few steps ahead and plays the long game.

Where the name and the research come from

Niccolò Machiavelli was a Florentine diplomat. In The Prince, written in 1513, he gave rulers blunt advice on gaining and keeping power, including when to deceive. His name became shorthand for clever, ruthless strategy.

In 1970, psychologists Richard Christie and Florence Geis published Studies in Machiavellianism. They turned ideas from Machiavelli's writing into questionnaire statements. Their best-known version, the Mach IV, became the standard measure for decades. In their lab games, high scorers often did better at bargaining, especially face to face, when the rules were loose, and when emotions were running high. They stayed cooler while others got caught up in the moment.

In 2002, Delroy Paulhus and Kevin Williams grouped Machiavellianism with narcissism and psychopathy and named the set the dark triad. All three involve putting yourself first, but each has its own flavor.

Everyday signs

You plan what to say before asking for a favor. In a new group, you quietly work out who really makes the decisions. You keep your opinion back until you know which way the room is leaning.

You may wonder what someone wants when they're unusually kind. You don't mind a bit of flattery if it gets things moving. You'd rather not tell people your plans until they're settled.

None of these on their own says much. The trait shows up as a pattern across many situations.

Why moderate levels can help

Some strategy is useful. It helps you prepare for a salary talk, spot a sales trick or see when a colleague is quietly taking credit. People very low in the trait can be easier to take advantage of.

A middle level often looks like being honest with a practical streak. You can plan when it counts without treating every chat as a chess move.

At work

Higher scorers tend to be good at office politics, negotiation and reading power. They may do well in roles where the rules are loose and outcomes matter most.

The research is mixed on whether it pays off. A large 2012 review of workplace studies by Ernest O'Boyle and colleagues found Machiavellianism had at most a small link with how well people do their jobs. It had a clearer link with behavior that harms the workplace, such as bending rules. Trust is slow to build and quick to lose, and colleagues usually notice being steered.

In relationships

In close relationships, a strategic style can make it hard for others to feel close. Partners may feel handled rather than heard, even when you mean well. Studies tend to link higher scores with less trust and less openness between partners.

Some higher scorers say they find it hard to let their guard down, because they expect others to be strategic too. That cynicism can become self-fulfilling: if you hold back, people hold back with you.

Softening the downsides

With people close to you, try saying what you want straight out and see how it lands. A plain ask often works better than a plan.

Before a tactic, ask yourself: would I be fine if they knew exactly what I was doing and why? If not, think about another way.

Give people a chance to prove your cynicism wrong. Share one small plan early, or take one person at their word this week, and notice what happens.

How it differs from the other two traits

Machiavellianism is planful. Psychopathy, in research, is more impulsive: acting now, worrying less about later. Narcissism is about self-image and admiration. You can be high on one and low on the others.

How our test scores it, and what it can't tell you

Our dark triad test has 9 statements for Machiavellianism, 3 of them worded the other way round, such as "I take people at their word". Each answer is 0 to 4 points, and the average becomes a score out of 100. Under 40 counts as low, 40 to 60 as middle, and over 60 as high.

This is an everyday trait, not a condition. There's no diagnosis called Machiavellianism, and this page can't diagnose anything. A score is a prompt for thinking, not a label for you or anyone else. If you're worried about how you or someone close to you treats people, a counselor can help.