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Christie (1970) notes that people who seek to control and manipulate others often become lawyers, psychiatrists, or behavioral scientists;

Yep, that's what I learned, too. Psychopaths are overrepresented in law and psychiatry, and, if I recall, politics (big surprise there).

Robert Hare is currently the pre-eminent authority on psychopaths, and he even admits to being fooled by them more than a few times.

You don't want a psycho in regular therapy, cause all they learn is how to act more human and how to better fool laypeople and authorities. As a psychiatrist, just imagine!

Speaking of Machiavellianism, manipulation is the stock in trade of psychopaths (I distinguish between sociopaths and psychopaths, in that the former can be described better by behaviour and the latter by state of mind/traits, but of course, they overlap).

The following comes from an article on manipulative people that can be found here: http://www.rickross.com/reference/brainwashing/brainwashing11.html

I've presented the principal tactics that covert-aggressives use to manipulate and control others. They are not always easy to recognize. Although all aggressive personalities tend to use these tactics, covert-aggressives generally use them slickly, subtly and adeptly. Anyone dealing with a covertly aggressive person will need to heighten gut-level sensitivity to the use of these tactics if they're to avoid being taken in by them.

Playing the Servant Role – Covert-aggressives use this tactic to cloak their self-serving agendas in the guise of service to a more noble cause. It's a common tactic but difficult to recognize. By pretending to be working hard on someone else's behalf, covert-aggressives conceal their own ambition, desire for power, and quest for a position of dominance over others. (It's what Anna would have wanted; the Marshall millions; lackey extraordinaire)

Seduction – Covert-aggressive personalities are adept at charming, praising, flattering or overtly supporting others in order to get them to lower their defenses and surrender their trust and loyalty. Covert-aggressives are also particularly aware that people who are to some extent emotionally needy and dependent (and that includes most people who aren't character-disordered) want approval, reassurance, and a sense of being valued and needed more than anything. Appearing to be attentive to these needs can be a manipulator's ticket to incredible power over others. ....

He melts any resistance you might have to giving him your loyalty and confidence. He does this by giving you what he knows you need most. He knows you want to feel valued and important. So, he often tells you that you are. You don't find out how unimportant you really are to him until you turn out to be in his way. (Anna, now Larry, and g-d knows who else!)

Projecting the blame (blaming others) – Aggressive personalities are always looking for a way to shift the blame for their aggressive behavior. Covert-aggressives are not only skilled at finding scapegoats, they're expert at doing so in subtle, hard to detect ways. (All together now, "VIRGIE!!!!)

Diversion – A moving target is hard to hit. When we try to pin a manipulator down or try to keep a discussion focused on a single issue or behavior we don't like, he's expert at knowing how to change the subject, dodge the issue or in some way throw us a curve. (e.g., Howard as 'Prissy', in Seidlin's court- "I don't know nuthin' 'bout medications, duh" (reference all the drugs prescribed to him); "it's all Virgie's fault") Manipulators use distraction and diversion techniques to keep the focus off their behavior, move us off-track, and keep themselves free to promote their self-serving hidden agendas. (e.g., Daniel's inquest; Anna's death- anyone? anyone??? helloooo?)