Machiavellianism. Is it simple manipulation or art?

People living in modern society are very different. They have different points of view, measures of interaction with others. But, of course, they all have one thing: the goal in life, which everyone would like to achieve. Methods of achieving the goal, sometimes, also differ.

What is Machiavellianism?

The term "Machiavellianism" came from the English word machiavellianism. At first it was used when talking about political science, which implied a very tough state policy, using brute force. Subsequently, the term was transferred to a completely different industry. Machiavellianism in psychology means personal convictions of a person that he can and should manipulate other people. Also this term assumes that a person has for this certain skills that he develops to achieve his goals, usually this person has the gift of persuasion, besides he is well versed in what other people want, knows their intentions, aspirations, desires .

The appearance of the term "Machiavellianism"

For the first time about this phenomenon they started talking in the Renaissance after the light saw the work of the Italian thinker Niccolo Machiavelli called "Sovereign". In it, N. Machiavelli shared his ideas, where he linked the propensity to manipulate the personal characteristics of individual individuals. In his opinion, when the state ruled the ruler does not necessarily take into account the wishes of the people, because with the help of brute force one can achieve anything, and the people have nowhere to go, he will fulfill any requirements. For the sake of prosperity and development of the state, one can neglect the interests of ordinary people. In modern times, the concept of Machiavellianism is more equated with cynicism, cunning and cunning.

Principles of direction

From the very beginning of his career Machiavelli was distinguished by cunning and cunning. In his entire life, he made a huge contribution to making his beloved Florence stand on the world political arena. He had some time to communicate with Cesare Borgia, a cruel and calculating Italian commander, dreaming of creating and managing a single Italian state. But in his game he was not always honest. The work of Machiavelli "Sovereign" described this man, where he put forward his principles of Machiavellianism. The fact is that the war between the Roman Empire and Venice soon began. Rioting broke out in the country, and N. Machiavelli is sent to prison on charges of conspiracy. Under the threat of execution and torture, he does not admit his guilt, so he is released. In his work he describes how those who preach good and justice, in fact, build their power in cruelty and violence. It was in honor of Machiavelli that a separate direction was called "Machiavellianism". This is a kind of belief that let the state be ruled by a cruel ruler who does not conceal his intentions but keeps it under control than a dozen weak people who do not understand anything in political affairs. In his understanding the basic principle should be a strong state with an equally strong ruler, leading his people to prosperity.

Psychological properties of personality

The term "Machiavellianism" has long been used in foreign psychology. It is about the behavior of a person in interpersonal relationships, when he conceals his true intentions by any means and uses special maneuvers and manipulations (this may be flattery, deception, intimidation, etc.) to distract the attention of others, so that they, without understanding, Do all that they were told. Scientists have proven that a person who has Machiavellianism is a person who is prone to excessive suspicion, hostility, negativity and selfishness. That is, such a person in relations with other people behaves coldly and alienated due to distrust of others. People with Machiavellianism are ambitious, intelligent, persistent, they always know what they want. Indecision, cowardice and sentimentality are weak in them.

Research Methodology

In Russian psychology, the concept of "Machiavellianism" is not so widespread as in the foreign one. American scientists have conducted several studies of the work of "The Emperor" and on his basis have made a number of psychological questions for revealing Machiavellianism. Since Machiavellianism is common in interpersonal relationships, there are a lot of examples. My daughter is doing a math job, suddenly she asks her mother to come and help her. Mom helps. After a while the daughter again asks for a favor, my mother again comes up. And then again, and again. Finally, after another request, my mother can not stand it, sits down next to her and finishes the task herself. My daughter is happy, because she was not going to do this task at all, and now she is happy that she was able to get her mother to carry out the assignment for her. That is, in the understanding of scientists, Machiavellianism is a set of emotional and behavioral characteristics in which a person is able to convince another to follow his instructions when communicating.

Results of the study

In their answers to psychological questions the Machiavellians very low evaluated the moral qualities of their personality. This means that they recognize the impossibility of combining their type of behavior and socially approved moral attitudes. The results of the research show that the Machiavellians are more communicative and it does not depend on whether they are lying or telling the truth, but decency, honesty, and friendliness are put on the back burner. In addition, it turned out that in women, the Machiavellian index is slightly higher than that of men.