Astuteness, trust, and social intelligence

Abstract

The strategic thinking people: use to achieve personal gains has been studied in psychology as Maehivellianism, however, Machiavellianism is a problemaric construct due to the negative moral implications and its association with psychopathology. The article introduces the concept of astuteness as an alternative notion to study the everyday tactical behavior of ordinary people in their natural environments: Astuteness is understood as a functional state of social intelligence opposed and related to trust at the same time. The article claims that astuteness should be seen as an evolutionary development and also as a cultural issue promoted in some societies. Given the particularities of modern life, e.g. the rising of individualism, it is suggested that while trust is declining, astuteness is increasing but then eroding social solidarity. © 2006 The Executive Management Committee/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.