A person high in Machiavellianism is typically described as which of the following?

• A. Pragmatic, emotionally distant, and believes ends justify means
• B. Compassionate and cooperative
• C. Organized and dutiful
• D. Energetic and sociable

Answer: (A)

Machiavellianism reflects a calculating, instrumentally minded approach to social life. Someone high in this trait tends to be pragmatic about getting what they want, keeps others at an emotional distance, and believes that the ends can justify the means. This combination—being goal-driven and willing to manipulate or adjust tactics to achieve outcomes—best captures the description given. The other options describe warmth and empathy (compassionate and cooperative), reliability and duty (organized and dutiful), or sociable energy (energetic and sociable), which align more with other personality dimensions and not with Machiavellianism.