One of the famous personality trait models that explores some dark personality traits that are often seen as socially undesirable is the Dark Triad Model.
Bearing the name of diplomat and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, this trait type refers to a personality that is recognized by manipulation, deceit, and a strategic and malicious approach to relationships.
Machiavellian people manipulate others very strategically by forming a very close bond with them to extract personal information at first and then if they fail to get what they desire from them, start controlling their behavior by a very particular set of reverse psychological tricks such as:
- Avoiding their victims and displaying excessive hatred, indifference, anger and disgust towards them.
- Manic episodes of anger upon contact with the victims.
- Gaslighting and falsely blaming their victims.
- Threatening their victims of dire consequences even for trying to clear the air.
- And eventually, accusing them of something serious to tarnish their image or ruin their lives.
These individuals act cruel and are often observed to display this behavior to shield their own grave insecurities. They have been observed to have a dark past and usually get to this stage after ruining many relationships, thus getting used to their behavioral darkness. This type of manic behavior is a result of addiction to attention, superiority complex, being spoiled, and demonstrates a huge lacking in one's character.
Machiavellians are often willing to use cunning techniques and manipulation to achieve their goals, even (or specially) at the expense of others who they once claim to be close to. Apart from being swift in cutting ties, they tend to be pragmatic and opportunistic in their careers and direct, unkind, and stringent in their personal lives.
2. Narcissism
This personality trait is characterized by excessive self-love, imagined grandiosity, and a sense of extreme entitlement. Individuals with high narcissistic traits have an inflated ego and often seek admiration and validation from others even for doing menial tasks.
They usually lack empathy for others' feelings and needs, making forming bonds difficult or downright impossible. They see others as unworthy and useless and always try to portray themselves as superior or worth more than the credit they are given. It is a bit difficult for narcissists to immediately hide their discontent and distress upon seeing others happy or progress, and they will not hesitate in extending sarcastic wishes and greetings.
Their identifiers include:
- Faking emotions (laughter, etc.).
- Clinging, particularly to a "beneficial" figure.
- Pretending to be friendly or caring.
- Pitting people against each other.
- Showing concern to extract information.
Narcissists are great sycophants and ensure their benefit by attaching themselves with a figure of authority. In reality, narcissists struggle even with completing mediocre tasks and try very hard to blame their mistakes on others because they see themselves above all tasks.
Upon being exposed, they tend to get extremely defensive and do not hesitate to throw anyone "under the bus". They behave just like the Machiavellians when it comes to behave in a conflict - cruel, unempathetic, lying over and over again, and finding new ways to save themselves even at the cost of others' lives.
Narcissists are very unreliable and completely untrustworthy in professional as well as personal realms. If they join hands with the Machiavellians, the results can be destructive for social groups and organizations alike. With narcissists, it is just a matter of time for who they choose as their next target.
3. Psychopathy
This trait is characterized by an unnatural lack of empathy, hollow emotions, and a an innate tendency towards antisocial behavior. Psychopathic individuals may be charming and charismatic on the surface but most of the times, lack a moral compass. They engage in exploitative and manipulative behaviors without feeling any remorse.
In any group, psychopaths always create a negative atmosphere by projecting themselves as victims of repression to either create a fear culture or to provide a fake shelter to vulnerable individuals to exploit them later.
They often portray themselves heroically to have fought bravely to propel the group towards prosperity and progress when, in reality, it is their actions that would have pushed the group to the brink of collapse.
Their signature identifiers are:
- Playing victim card while using an ideology (gender or race) to seem vulnerable
- Uncouth tone or language
- Pretentious concern
- No empathetic expressions while someone opens up to them
- A villainous vocabulary that creates a toxic environment
- Falsely and continuously accusing people of oppressing them
Just like narcissists, psychopaths are impulsive. They react rather than respond to a situation. Their mental control mechanism is least or non functional and they do not give their actions enough thought.
They play the victim card and lie about their contributions and their "sufferings". At an authoritative position, they tend to demean others publicly and do not see any use in upholding any moral, ethical, professional, or social values.
A psychopath's language may mostly be civil, but given a safe space, they tend to speak with no class or character, often shouting and raising their voice at others and using ungraceful tone or words to address others.
With all these antics, they tend to stay away from creating bonds as it would require them to be empathetic, which is revolting to them personally. They tend to be antisocial as socializing requires one to give equal (or almost equal) value to others which psychopaths are unable to.
The Dark Triad Model is named such because these traits share many commonalities such as manipulative tendencies, impulsivity, and a lack of concern for others' well-being. We must remember that not everyone who exhibits these traits will engage in harmful behavior, but they are associated with an increased risk of unethical or harmful actions in social and professional settings.
The Dark Triad is studied by scientists to better understand these personality traits and their impact on relationships, workplace dynamics, and society as a whole. Many serial killers have demonstrated a consistent combination of these traits and hence criminal investigators are specially interested in understanding these personality types.
Additionally, it's important to use caution while interacting with individuals who may exhibit these traits, as they can be challenging to deal with in various contexts. Staying a safe distance from them would be wise. If these three types of people form a gang, it can be extremely difficult to deal with them and they can bring an entire social or professional structure down by using their authority and cunningness. Especially, when there is a bias towards them in a group or an organization, we must stay cautious and aware of their actions as we might be their next target.
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