The Trade-Off Between Psychopaths and Machiavellians in Political Office

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The chapter explores the idea of having a Machiavellian in a political office and argues that they would be more successful in manipulating social ties, political alliances, and collaborating forces to achieve their agenda on a larger scale. The speakers also discuss the contrast between detecting a psychopath and a Machiavellian early on.

Do you consider yourself a shrewd manipulator? Are you cynical about the nature of human beings? If so, you might rank highly in Machiavellianism - a personality trait that's based on the writing and views of Niccolo Machiavelli, the 16th-century Italian political philosopher. We look at what makes a Machiavellian personality, and how it fits into the so called ‘dark triad’ of traits.