The dark triad goes over 3 negative personality traits, Narcissism, Machiavellianism and Psychopathy. An individual having any of these characteristics will be more likely to, manipulate, deceive, or abuse someone. All three traits do have similarities, such as having a lack of empathy, but they all share unique traits in the way they engage with others.
Narcissism
The word Narcissism is based on the Greek myth of Narcissus. A hunter who was incredibly beautiful. He rejected everyone who became infatuated with him. but one day as he was passing by a river, he saw his own reflection and instantly fell in love. Being trapped in a gaze with himself, Narcissus didn’t move although once he discovered the truth, he killed himself due to distress. Following his death, the narcissus flower grew from his body.
With Narcissism being based on Narcissus, there are many similarities with the character and word. Narcissism is characterized by being extremely arrogant, selfish, and requiring constant attention. Narcissists lack empathy for others, they believe they are superior from others and will build relationships that benefit them. A narcissist can appear very charismatic initially but after awhile they can be very abusive and manipulative.
Machiavellianism
Niccolò Machiavelli a political philosopher born during the 16th century had written a book called The Prince. The book is a guide on how a ruler can maintain control by using unethical behaviour such as being deceitful or using people for ulterior motives. According to The Prince, the behaviour can be justified when trying to obtain the best outcome as a government official/ruler .
Machiavellianism is a reflection of The Prince. Someone with these characteristics will be very manipulative, strategical, and devious. With there being similarities to Narcissism both will be manipulative, but someone high in Machiavellianism will stay out of the spotlight to use others to an end.
Psychopathy
Without a doubt one of the most well-known personality traits is psychopathy. Across media and the law, a psychopath is depicted as a dangerous criminal such as a serial killer. Whilst this can be true, psychopaths can fall into many categories, they can be seen as successful entrepreneur’s or lawyers. Because of their charisma and manipulative tendencies, they can blend in with ease and even become successful in the field they’re pursuing.
Psychopathy is not an official disorder. Yet people usually identify a psychopath as having a lack of empathy and emotions. The closest condition to psychopathy in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is Anti-Social Personality Disorder(ASPD). Examples of ADSP are lack of remorse, repeatedly being deceitful, constant irresponsible behaviour and having no concerns for their own and others safety.
How do I know if someone has Dark Triad traits?
Anyone with dark triad traits can be very charismatic and manipulative, you can find it very difficult to assess if their genuine people. To identify if a person is manipulating you or has any of the traits here is some warning signs you can use.
Sketchy behaviour.
As obvious as it sounds there may be something off about the person. You may find that their stories don’t always add up or have caught them out on a lie. Compulsive liars will not be able to keep up with their constant lying.
Unpredictable.
People high in the dark triad traits can be very impulsive, taking unnecessary risks at times. A study found that people with a higher dark triad score would make riskier bets. This is because they have no sense of security. Psychopaths and Narcissists will put you and themselves at risks for a small gain.
Morally grey.
A person with dark triad traits wants you to believe that they’re selfless, but really their thinking about themselves. A study looking at participants moral standings found psychopaths cared less about the outcome, they weren’t interested if others suffered, or someone turned onto them. People higher in Machiavellianism were more mixed but Narcissists agreed with questions that made them look better to others.
Lack of friendships.
If the person is always falling out with people and is always the ‘victim’ in the situations there’s a chance they could be high in Dark triad traits. After they have used people, they will move onto the next person. Pretending they were never bad to begin with.
Gaslighting.
If you’ve ever been in an argument with someone and they pretend that the events that occurred never really happened, this would be gaslighting. This type of behaviour is abusive. Twisting reality to create a false narrative will mess with your head, it can be very harmful.
Dealing with people who have Dark Triad traits
With their decieving nature, it may be difficult to see if someone you know has any of these traits. Some can be easier to identify than others, such as grandiose Narcissism. Being high in Machiavellianism or Psychopathy makes an individual very good at hiding their real objectives.
There are some general guidelines you can follow when trying to deal with someone high in these traits:
- Keep boundaries with them. This can initially offend them, but you must ensure they aren’t heavily involved in your life. This will allow them to have more control over you.
- Positivity. Nobody wants to be around people that will drain them of their resources. It can feel emotionally draining, this means we want to be around supportive peers that won’t use us or be selfish.
- Valuables. Make sure they don’t have access to anything that’s valuable, this could range from your bank account to home. They may not always steal however its best to be safe than sorry.
- Stand up. These people may try to bully you or be verbally abusive. Don’t let what their saying or doing get to you. It will only make you feel worse. If you can stand up to them or ignore them, go with it.