Sociopath
Introduction
Most of us have worked for people who appeared wonderful on first impression; however, later we noticed behaviour that showed another side to their character, such as not telling the truth, too much vanity, selfishness, constantly playing the victim, taking credit for other people's work, screaming at people or threatened retaliation, etc. This type of behaviour can leave you baffled, hurt, confused, upset, disappointed, etc.
This type of behaviour has been called the ‘dark triad” as it usually revolves around 3 salient personality characteristics: narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy; it can be linked to a 4th sadism.
Summary of the 'dark triad' characteristics:
| Psychopathy | Machiavellianism | Narcissism |
| Manipulative | Manipulative | Idolised image of self |
| Impulsive | Lower levels of morality | Lower levels of empathy |
| Lack of remorse | Focus on personal gain | Attention-seeking |
| Lack of empathy | Self-centred |
(source: Arthur Brooks, 2024)
People who display these behaviours have been described as
“...Social predators who charm, manipulate and ruthlessly plough their way through life, leaving a broad trail of broken hearts, shattered expectations and empty wallets. Dark Triads are about one in 14 people…”
Arthur Brooks, 2024
You need to learn how to identify them, understand them and effectively handle them, as they can make life miserable.
“…Narcissism is egotistical admiration of oneself. Machiavellianism is a duplicitous interpersonal style and disregard for morality…. ..The element of psychopathy adds an absence of empathy and remorse to complete the dark triad: it is all about me. I am willing to hurt you for my gain and I don't care how you feel…”
Arthur Brooks, 2024
There is a 4th element: sadism, or the enjoyment of others’ suffering.
The traits exist on a continuum and everyone exhibits some degree of them.
They can be a misconception that the people with these qualities in abundance are ‘evil geniuses’; in fact, most have below average intelligence; men are more likely to display the dark triad qualities than female; these traits are found less as people age.
These people tend to be involved in professions that involve human contact, performance and applause, but have little concern for other people. For example, people in politics and show business can show these tendencies.
“...At work, such individuals tend to exaggerate their own worth, show a dismissive attitude towards colleagues, act impulsively and irresponsibly, break rules and lie…”
Arthur Brooks, 2024
In social settings they can display confidence and be outgoing, while being extremely attractive; they show a strong preference for short-term relationships and if they find themselves in a relationship, they tend to be unfaithful. And when a breakup comes, it can be ugly; they are known for cost escalation (they will make you pay), manipulation and open confrontation.
In politics, the narcissists are motivated by self-aggrandisement over public service; psychopaths take extreme positions in a radicalized society, ie on the fringes of political and social causes (either right-wing or left-wing).
On social media they can cause disorder by excessive use of Internet platforms as anonymous users who are abusive and like to stir hatred and controversy.
Furthermore, it has been found that they do not make capable leaders; lack close friends; report lower-than-average life satisfaction.
Traits that can identify the dark triads include:
- Sense of self-importance
- Sense of entitlement
- Display of vanity
- Display of victim mentality
- A tendency to lie
- Being manipulative
- Display of grandiosity
- Lack of remorse
- Absence of empathy.
The reverse of the dark triad is called the light triad and involves:
- Faith in humanity (trusting in people's fundamental goodness)
- Humanism (believing in the dignity and worth of each person)
- Acceptance of the idea of universal moral law (refusing to objectify or stereotype others)
It is estimated that around half of the people qualifies as light triads and that the average person has more light than dark personality traits.
The main reason dark triads survive and thrive is the way we reward and recognize people, ie financially on individual performance and give them greater prominence via individual public praise.