Narcissist, Machiavellian, Psychopath, Or All Of The Above?
Updated: Sep 19, 2021
Dark Psychology is all around us and is at work every second of every day – you might just not recognize it yet. Schools and universities all over the world have programs dedicated to “psychology” or the study of mind and behavior. Dark Psychology can be thought of as the study of how to manipulate the mind and an individual’s behavior by using scientific knowledge already available to us.
Dark Psychology is the shadow of Psychology as we know it today. It’s psychology’s dark side, its underbelly, the id to the ego. While many people go to school to study psychology, the human mind, there isn’t necessarily a place to study dark psychology. Not only because it’s we’re just becoming to understand it – no. Even once society fully understands dark psychology, no one will be able to study it in the formal halls of a university. Dark Psychology always has and will always go against the mainstream’s idea of “right” – and for a good reason.
It turns out there is an opposite make-up – the “light triad” – that could explain why some of us are naturally good. For example, do you tend to see the best in people or assume that others are out to get you? And are you always honest in conversation, or do you prefer to turn on the charm?
Your answers to these questions partly determine how much of an “everyday saint” you are, according to a group of psychologists who’ve come up with a new way of looking at beneficent personality traits. To qualify, it helps if you see humans and humanity at large as fundamentally sound and treat them that way.
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ON THE FLIP SIDE...
The “dark triad” makes us more creative but also more likely to cheat.
Narcissism is characterized by grandiosity, pride, egotism, and a lack of empathy.
Machiavellianism is characterized by manipulation and exploitation of others, an absence of morality, unemotional callousness, and a higher level of self interest.
Psychopathy is characterized by continuous antisocial behavior, impulsivity, selfishness, callous and unemotional traits (CU), and remorselessness.
These traits have been linked to emotional deficits.
Like in an abusive relationship, we want to think that people can change for the better. Even more so, we want to believe that we’re the special something that can come along and change them. Whether it’s our romantic partner, parents, coworkers, or friends, we tend to think it’s a simple fix. That gaslighting problem your boyfriend has? If you could just. Those mind games that your boss plays with you? You could probably stop it if. But it’s not that easy. These are individuals with practice in dark psychology. But now you have some knowledge, and we can change some things together. You can’t change the person, but you can change the situation and how you react.
Are you on the Light or Dark Side of the Force?
