The Dark Triad: Narcissism, Machiavellianism And Psychopathy

Those who lack the ability to connect with others or possess 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 in this triad become true criminals or are 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 by day. 

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

Narcissism

” Everything is allowed to me ” or ” Others only exist to adore me ” are examples of thinking dominated by narcissism. Selfish people, with an egocentric sense of rights and with 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 with the passage of time they can become very dangerous. They can even unwittingly show 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, most 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 glamor.

One of their strengths is their great capacity for conviction. 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. In addition, 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 feel remorse and are impassive in the face of the needs and feelings of the people around them.

Now your Achilles heel is your self esteem. Narcissists often have very poor self-esteem, which is coupled with internal vulnerability and some instability. Hence, they often try to associate with 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 are usually very calculating and cold people, destroying any kind of genuine emotional connection with others. Although they tend to have traits in common with narcissists, such as their selfishness and the 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 with the relationships they maintain.

The “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 set out to do. If you anticipate your feelings, it will be easier to choose the best strategy to implement.

According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, people with Machiavellian features tend to have less empathic harmony with others. His coldness seems to derive from a lack in the processing of both his own and others’ emotions.

In fact, their emotions are so disconcerting that when they feel anxious they often can’t tell whether they feel sad, tired, or just plain bad. However, they usually have a great capacity to feel what others think. But as Goleman puts it, ” Even if your head knows what to do, your heart still doesn’t have the slightest idea .”

Psychopathy, the most dangerous personality of the dark triad

Psychopaths regard others as objects that they can use and throw away at will. However, unlike the rest of the personalities of the dark triad, 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 serene even in emotionally intense, dangerous and terrifying situations. The consequences of their actions are not something that they care too much about. They are the best candidates to enter prison.

The neural circuits of these types of people desensitize the fringe of the emotional spectrum that is associated with suffering. Therefore, their cruelty seems insensitive because they are unable to detect it. Also, remorse and shame don’t exist for them.

Now, psychopaths have a knack for getting under the skin of others and thus pressing 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 can 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 mistreatment through psychological violence. Toxic personalities who establish circles of power, control and hostility and mentally trap their victims.

The key to not falling into their networks is to work 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 kinds of relationships.