So I've always known that I have high emotional intelligence because in all my real life interactions, I'm amazing with making everyone like me. I know it's above average because so often I see people non-intentionally/subconsciously disrespect each other, and not even notice it!
Anywhere, here is a great article which explains that people with high IE tend to be narcissists!
Last year, a group of Austrian psychologists reported a correlation between EI and narcissism, raising the possibility that narcissists with high EI might use their "charming, interesting, and even seductive" qualities for "malicious purposes," such as deceiving others. Similarly, a 2014 study linked "narcissistic exploitativeness" with "emotion recognition" — those who were prone to manipulating others were better at reading them.
Another study found that "Machiavellians" (those who rated high on a scale of "Machiavellianism" — essentially, manipulativeness) with high EI were more likely to have publicly embarrassed someone else for self-promotional reasons.
I suppose it's not difficult to think that someone with high emotional intelligence, and ability to understand, and deceiver others might begin to develop narcissistic personality traits. After all, I'm not a narcissist because I think I'm awesome, but because I am awesome even when I look at the evidence! (from as unbiased a perspective as I can).
In modern psychology, Machiavellianism is one of the dark triad personalities, characterized by a duplicitous interpersonal style associated with cynical beliefs and pragmatic morality
Machiavellianism is a term that some social and personality psychologists use to describe a person's tendency to be unemotional, and therefore able to detach him or herself from conventional morality and hence to deceive and manipulate others.
I think it's interesting that Machiavellianism, narcissism, emotional intelligence, and cynicism are all entwined. I consider myself a closet cynic. I anticipate the worst in people, but pretend to see the best in them. I do this because if people think you like them, they will like you back. But... as a realist, we know that Humans are naturally optimistic, and can be undependable. I believe cynics have the ability to see the true side of things, and when one sees the truth, we all become cynical. But it's only those of us lucky enough to have high emotional intelligence who can benefit from Machiavellianism.
One day I will write a book titled "How to be the best narcissist you can be". Young narcissists like myself need resources on how to best take advantage of their superior IE, their ambition and thirst for power, and currently there just aren't much study materials available. Everything I see is negative
