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🧿 Psychology
How manipulative are you?
Measure your Machiavellian tendencies with a proven scale.
Rate each statement 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
1Never tell anyone the real reason you did something unless it is useful to do so.
2The best way to handle people is to tell them what they want to hear.
3One should take action only when sure it is morally right.
4Most people are basically good and kind.
5It is safest to assume that all people have a vicious streak that will come out when given a chance.
6Honesty is the best policy in all cases.
7There is no excuse for lying to someone else.
8It is hard to get ahead without cutting corners.
9People suffering from incurable diseases should have the choice of being put painlessly to death.
10It is possible to be good in all respects.
What is Machiavellianism?
Named after Niccolò Machiavelli's "The Prince" (1513), this trait measures strategic manipulation, cynicism, and pragmatic morality. The MACH-IV scale (Christie & Geis, 1970) is the gold standard, used in 1,000+ studies.
MACH-IV population norms (Christie & Geis, 1970)
- Population mean: 25/50 on this abbreviated scale
- High Machs (top 25%): Score 32+
- Low Machs (bottom 25%): Score below 20
- Men score slightly higher than women (d=0.15)
- Peaks in late teens/early 20s, decreases with age
What high Machs are like
- Better at negotiation and winning zero-sum games
- More likely to succeed in unstructured, face-to-face situations
- Less affected by guilt or emotional appeals
- NOT necessarily more intelligent — just more strategic
- Correlates with career success in competitive fields (sales, law, politics)
Sources: Christie & Geis (1970, "Studies in Machiavellianism"), MACH-IV scale, Journal of Personality.