Body image and machiavellianism are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain machiavellianism, and machiavellianism frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Machiavellianism
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives machiavellianism
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary machiavellianism trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as machiavellianism
How Machiavellianism Affects Body Image
Machiavellianism can worsen body image through reduced self-care motivation, changes in appetite and weight, and a general negative lens that extends to physical self-perception.
Addressing Body Image and Machiavellianism Together
- Body neutrality: Not requiring positive body feelings, just reduction of hostility
- Body functionality focus: What your body does vs. how it looks
- Intuitive eating: Reconnecting with hunger and satisfaction cues disrupted by machiavellianism
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and machiavellianism