Part I: Project: Securing open groups against sociopaths & Machiavellians

About Machiavellians

• Several types of Machiavellians
  • Police
  • Sociopaths
  • Narcissist Personality Disorder (sort of)

• See also:
  • http://sociopathworld.com

Etc

• This can be useful in general with manipulative people.
  • When is it going too far?

Machiavellians joining collectives

• General Behaviours
  • Provoke fights between key-members
    • This is likely to result in one or more leaders leaving the group, making the group easier for the Machiavellian to control.
• Create a-clique/minions
  • Gossip: badmouth others in ways that make the listener feel superior.
  • If target doesn't do what they like, "secretly" punish.
    • Punishment
      • Be cold. But blame the coldness on a "bad day at work", etc.
      • Make the "universe itself" punish the person.
        • Example: Jane's ski equipment fell apart during a race after she had a fight with her dad.
    • Create jealousy by being extra nice to someone else.
    • Reward
      • Be an extremely friendly "dream person"

• Create scapegoat
  • Spin: Make someone dislikeable without even starting it.
    • "I hate people who fidget"
    • [roll eyes when person is brought up]

• Turns accuser into paranoid asshole

• Make assertive sounding, yet ambiguous, statements
  • This way, whenever accused of lying, the Machiavellian can point out that there is an alternate interpretation to their words, and make the claim that they were simply misinterpreted.

• Test boundaries with mind-games

My responses

Social Aikido

• Act naive & trusting
  • Always act like you assume the best of intentions, but ask questions which will bring your suspected truth out.

• Always be on the lookout for how they are gaining power over someone.

• Reverse-spin * Spread good rumours about scapegoat.

Assertive communication

• As opposed to:
  • passivity
    • Don't risk defending boundaries
  • aggression
    • Ignore others' boundaries
  • In assertiveness one learns to respect boundaries & negotiate
  • Techniques
    • Broken record
      
      The "broken record" technique[14] consists of simply repeating your requests or your refusals every time you are met with resistance. The term comes from vinyl records, the surface of which when scratched would lead the needle of a record player to loop over the same few seconds of the recording indefinitely. "As with a broken record, the key to this approach is repetition ... where your partner will not take no for an answer."
      
      A disadvantage with this technique is that when resistance continues, your requests may lose power every time you have to repeat them. If the requests are repeated too often it can backfire on the authority of your words. In these cases it is necessary to have some sanctions on hand.
      
      
    • Fogging
      
      Fogging consists of finding some limited truth to agree with in what an antagonist is saying. More specifically, one can agree in part or agree in principle. [edit]
      
      
    • Negative inquiry
      
      Negative inquiry[14] consists of requesting further, more specific criticism.
      
      
    • Negative assertion
      
      Negative assertion[14] is agreement with criticism without letting up demand.
      
      
    • I-statements
      
      I-statements can be used to voice one's feelings and wishes from a personal position without expressing a judgment about the other person or blaming one's feelings on them.