@Vermillion-Rx

YeH, it took me quite a while to figure out what's up, but once you pinpoint it it's self evident.

"Intelligent" necessarily means higher cognitive function activation. Machiavellianism is an evolved social strategy (albeit parasitic), therefore it relies on deep, ancestral faculties. They can do it without understanding how.

The few psychopaths that have come out in the open lately woth books and podcasts explaining how they function are exceptions, and they too can miss quite a bit about how they really go about.

As in the examples you guys used

@MentORPHEUS

After you and adam-l commented I have noticed that it doesn't take much intellect to be machiavellianistic

@Stigma

Not sure. I mean many fools are useful and kept around for that reason and also I'm sure plenty of fools had parents who foolishly didn't wrap it or anything, hence why they exist at all. Fools are a necessary cog in society so they'll end up reproducing and allowed to

I'm not sure as for the machiavellianism. I don't think a fool is capable of the tactic and foresight for it. So I think it inherently requires intelligence as a pre-requsite as is.

I'd argue machiavellianism has more of a need to combat other savvy people, rather than mere fools. It's particularly useful on arrogants like shortsighted narcissists

@Vermillion-Rx That was good.

I don't think this is a tangent, but it made me consider a perspective I hadn't had before. Darwinism, we all know that those that survive have favourable traits, sexual selection etc etc. Well I'd never factored the mind in to that, cause y'know, physical traits help domination on the material plane. Is intelligence a genetic trait, anyhow? Machiavellian traits and methods of mental survival could develop in intelligent individuals to counter an increasingly stupid population.

@Adam-l I think that's your ball park, any substance to that?

@SwarmShawarma

Anything to extend the time to avoid meeting their husbands

Smdh

Holy fuck this is good

youtu.be/4TspV1odsXo?si=6APQaCms5v8re5V7

Can't help but notice the enshittification of businesses and services in the last 10 years and especially after COVID

Most employees are just paid daycare babies who produce 20% of the productivity that could be handled by fewer overachievers who could be paid higher for doing 80% of the work.