The dark triad: narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy

Those who lack the ability to connect with others or have the ability to deliberately disconnect from their emotions are often part of the dark triad. A set of personality characteristics that define narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy.

At its most extreme, individuals who share traits of this triad become true criminals or become lost in the broad spectrum of mental illness. But There are also those who do not meet the criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis and who live among us day to day.

However, those who present these traits and forms of behavior They have been called dark personalities because of their callous, selfish, and malevolent tendencies. in their relationships with others. Delroy Paulhus and Kevin-Williams, psychologists at the University of British Columbia, were responsible for naming the most negative part of human relationships as the dark triad. Let’s see what it consists of.

Narcissism

“Everything is allowed to me” either “Others only exist to worship me” are examples of thinking dominated by narcissism. Selfish people, with an egocentric sense of entitlement and a positive self-image, although unrealistic if we take into account the vision of those around them.

Narcissists are “snake charmers.” At first they are very loved by others – their behaviors are pleasant and attractive – but over time they can become very dangerous. They may even unintentionally reveal what their true intentions are: to gain more admiration and power.

They tend to get bored with routine, so they look for difficult challenges. Hence, the majority of narcissists dedicate themselves to leadership, law, or any other profession that involves high levels of stress. According to psychoanalyst Michael Maccoby, narcissism is an increasingly common disorder in the upper echelons of business and is directly related to competition, salary and glamour.

One of their strengths is the great capacity for conviction they possess. Thanks to it, they surround themselves with a large number of followers, they are able to convince them of what they want without making any kind of effort; In short, to achieve what they propose. Furthermore, lacking empathy, it is not complicated for them: they are not at all scrupulous with the means and strategies they have to implement to achieve their objectives.

Narcissistic people’s interest and concern for others is zero, despite their great theatricality. So they do not experience remorse and are indifferent to the needs and feelings of the people around them.

Now, your Achilles heel is your self-esteem. Narcissists usually have very poor self-esteem, which is accompanied by internal vulnerability and certain instability. Hence, they often try to relate to people they consider inferior to exercise their dominance and feel powerful.

Machiavellianism

For the “Machiavellians” the end justifies the means, regardless of the consequences that may arise. They tend to be very calculating and cold people, destroying any type of genuine emotional connection with others. Although they often have traits in common with narcissists, such as their selfishness and use of others, there is one trait that differentiates them: they are realistic in the perceptions and estimates they make of their abilities, as well as the relationships they maintain.

“Machiavellians” do not try to impress anyone, on the contrary. They show themselves as they are and prefer to see things clearly because that way they can manipulate better. In fact, They focus on the emotions of the people that they want to manipulate to achieve what they propose. If you anticipate your feelings, it will be easier to choose the best strategy to implement.

According to psychologist Daniel Goleman People with Machiavellian traits tend to have less empathic attunement with the rest. His coldness seems to stem from a lack of processing both his own and others’ emotions.

In fact, emotions for them are so disconcerting that when they feel anxious they usually don’t know how to differentiate if they feel sad, tired or simply bad. However, they usually have a great ability to sense what others think. But as Goleman expresses “Even though your head knows what to do, your heart still has no idea.“.

Psychopathy, the most dangerous personality of the dark triad

Psychopaths view others as objects they can use and throw away. at your will. However, unlike the rest of the dark triad personalities, they almost never experience anxiety, and even seem to ignore what it means to be afraid.

Thus, by not experiencing that fear, They are able to remain calm even in emotionally intense, dangerous and frightening situations. The consequences of their actions are not something that matters too much to them. They are the best candidates to enter prison.

The neural circuits of these types of people desensitize the part of the emotional spectrum that is associated with suffering. Thus, Their cruelty seems callous because they are unable to detect it. Furthermore, remorse and shame do not exist for them.

However, Psychopaths have a certain ability to get under the skin of others and thus press the appropriate buttons of the other to achieve their goal. They are great persuaders. However, these types of people, although they excel in social cognition, are characterized by understanding the relationships and behavior of others only from a logical or intellectual perspective.

As we see, it seems that the dark side practiced by the Sith in Star Wars is not as unreal as we thought. The presence of this dark triad in intimate relationships leads to abuse through psychological violence. Toxic personalities that establish circles of power, control and hostility and mentally trap their victims.

The key to not falling into their networks is to work on our emotional independence. Knowing how to establish clear limits in our relationships and not allow anyone to exceed them. Without a doubt, protecting ourselves has to be our priority in all types of relationships.

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