I scored top 97% mach on the Dark Triad test should I be concerned?

I took this test: Dark Triad Personality Test and scored in the top 97th percentile on Machiavellianism (the capacity for manipulation and deception especially in political or corporate environments) along with 78 narcissism and 62 psychopathy. Here's proof:

[IMG]http://forums.psychcentral.com/

Should I be concerned?

Interesting test. I scored almost zero on all three triads. Do you think you fit those descriptors? Is that something you think is causing problems for you in your life and in your relationships? That might tell you if you should be concerned.

N-2.7 (46)
M-3.8 (95)
P-1.1 (4)

I am in the same boat as you in machivellianism with a 95.
I'm finding I have problems with closeness. Allowing people close and to know you opens you up to manipulation and pain.
I only have two spheres of people. The first being random people, potentially anything. The second is people I do business with. The people who I have to get an understanding of in order to bend things to suit my needs.
Yet as a result I have blocked myself from any prospect of intimacy.

Find intimacy is a bit difficult when you keep everyone at bay like a bunch of wolves in business suits.

This is pretty much why I'm a high Mach. We are way too much alike it's actually scary haha

I'm also very cutthroat when it comes to business and while I don't scam or steal from people, I have a tendency to bend the rules to my will. If I'm not ruthless and if I don't suspect hidden motives in everybody, time and experience has proven to me that I will get burned.

I don't see any good in the world. To me the world is nothing more than a survivalist competition. If you aren't able and willing to do what must be done to get ahead, others will use and hurt you plain and simple.

I also, much like you, have two spheres of people in my life. One is my friends and family sphere which consists of people that I care about. While I don't fully open up to them, I don't under any circumstance hurt them and I do everything in my power to shield them from others like me. The other sphere of people I consider "minions" which are anybody who I'm using for a specific purpose be it business, knowledge, or even sex. I almost always kick these people out of my life when they outlive their usefulness to me; I prefer to keep my circle small.

Machiavelli wasn't all bad. In fact, I used to instruct leaders in the art To help lead people in the better way...not everyone knows a good path and are bent on staying on their own... being able to lead, convince and connive at times is a good thing

Couldn't agree more

Want to hear something bad? I have a picture of his signature and I have one of his quotes below my avatar lol.

I agree with you except one point. Not everyone is out to get you in my opinion. Everyone has a nature, a pattern of going about things, and when push comes to shove they are going to chose themselves over you. So what you need to do is change their view through bending so that they think that their actions directly benefit you.
Most people believe they are doing the right thing, it just isn't useful. By slight manipulation you can make an ideal environment so that their efforts directly benefit you. People aren't evil or bad, just useless things with the best of intentions.

Is that what I said? Sorry haha I really need to refrain from posting until I get coffee in my system

I guess what I meant is anybody would turn on you if put in the right situation. Everybody has some kind of price which could be anything from money, to the safety of their loved ones, to the need of boosting their own ego ect. My default position when dealing with anybody is distrust until I get to know them awhile and even then, I keep them on a tight leach.

I don't think that everybody is against me by any means; thinking in such a way is delusional and I pride myself in my rationality.

Regardless, you make very excellent points

I'm starting to feel this way too. I can count on one hand the people in my life who haven't screwed me in some way or another.

I know I might come across sounding naïve for saying this, but while there are a lot of things about this world that are messed up or corrupt, I still don't believe there is no good in this world. Just seems a bit black/white. Right now it's probably a really really really dark shade of gray. But it's not completely black. There are people who are more giving than cutthroat.

Yes, natural instinct to survive will cause people to choose themselves over others. But what causes people to be put into life/death situations? I find it hard to ask of any person to give up their life... Or are you referring to any sort of passing incident during the day (i.e. cutting off lines of cars in traffic).

What defines "useful"? Something for the good of mankind/society? Something that you can see results for more immediately? Why measure people in terms of utility?

Sorry if I sound stupid or rude. Just trying to get a better understanding, not trying to offend anyone.

Okay, so the first paragraph. I am not talking about life or death situations, we are talking about Machiavellianism here and not psychopathy. This is along the lines of if you were given the decision to give yourself a promotion, an all around better scenario, you would chose yourself over your peer. In general people think themselves better than everyone else, if they aren't it isn't by that much or it doesn't matter. So it is natural that they chose themselves over others if there is no apparent gain in helping.

Good example would be giving someone $100 if they don't help an old lady up from the ground. Depending on the person they may chose either or, but both of which are self interested. We help people because we feel pain due to empathy and feel good when they are happy. So in that sense things like charity are acts of selfishness because they serve the person that is doing it. The money in this scenario is to show a physical incentive and something more cerebral are the same.

Now your second paragraph. Something is useful when it is line with your goals. Like a shovel for digging holes or a fork for food. People are the same but they have to be bent and directed in the way you want in order to be useful. For example lets say that you and your wife are going out to meet some big wigs at your company, people who weld a lot of power and can change your current situation with a snap of their fingers. Yet your wife is in the slums. She feels fat, shes tired, nothing looks right, nothing fits right, etc. To have an optimal impact you need to function as a team, you can't have dead weight. So you encourage her, and do so with your words, body language, and inflection of tone. Let's say that it was successful, she is more useful than she was before in this situation for your specific goals.

Also no one even thought that you were stupid or rude before you mentioned it.

Everybody is selfish to some extent. Anybody who seeks to help another person does it for selfish reasons which could include feeling good about themselves, desiring some kind of reward, or adherence to their religion or spirituality.

Does this mean that everybody goes around needlessly hurting others? No. Many do, however.

There is no such thing as selflessness or unconditional love among humans, period. Everything anybody does is inspired by some type of ulterior motive.

The only creature that can care about another human being unconditionally is a dog.

Sorry to sound so harsh, but I prefer to see the world how it is rather than how I want it to be.

hi,

Since you are a good caring person. I don't think you should worry about that. I don't know whether it is appropriate, but if so, congratulations on the high score! I hope and pray you have a really great day. God bless and best wishes from your friend Francis

It is okay. That is your opinion. And I appreciate you sharing that with us. It really got me thinking all day yesterday. I think that while it may be true that there can be no such thing as selflessness, there would need to be different degrees of selfishness right? A person who receives happiness through helping someone would be slightly different from a person who received happiness through hurting another because it is a different motive.

I know how you feel

I got

N 37
M 95
P 57

wow I knew I was damaged from my upbringing but wow. was really surprised I didn't score higher on N but dang 95 and 57

We should totally form a Mach club

Activities would include drinking tea in a secret hideout and plotting on how to take over the world

make mine a cherry dr pepper and you got a deal

Sure thing . There would also be coffee