Breaking down a philosophy's good traitsfrom @kolbykirschner

Transcript

There's a dangerous mistake people make when they learn about Machiavellianism. They either reject it completely or they start believing that manipulation is some kind of superpower. Both of them miss the lesson because there are parts of Machiavellian thinking that can make you far more effective in life and put you ahead if you know where to draw the line. A Machiavellian thinks three steps ahead. They ask questions like, what does this person actually want? What aren't they telling me? What incentive is driving their behavior? Those are incredibly useful questions that make you better at negotiating, reading people, spotting hidden incentives, and even avoiding being manipulated yourself. But the problem begins when understanding people becomes exploiting them. Knowing someone's motivations is awareness. Using their motivations against them through deception is manipulation. Thinking three moves ahead is strategy. Treating every relationship as a transaction is Machiavellianism. So take the awareness. Take the ability to think ahead. Take the understanding of incentives and human nature, but leave the deception, the exploitation, and the belief that people are just merely pieces on a chessboard. Because perhaps the most useful lesson from Machiavelli isn't how to manipulate people. It's how to understand people who might try to manipulate you. If you want more on how to learn the best human nature, you're in the right place.