I shared this amazing interview on social media and in my Weekend Reads, because I believe it’s foundational knowledge for all of us to understand these traits, so we can make sense of what’s going on in our world.
What so many world leaders are doing doesn’t make sense when it comes to the decisions being made for our collective future, and it’s leaving us all confused. know the vast majority are scratching their heads right now, and despair is consuming far too many as well.
This is the challenge we face. These personality traits are gaining power everywhere and that is why it’s all going haywire. We can’t afford this leadership today, we really can’t. Please watch the video – it is worth your time!
From all I’m understanding in researching the polycrisis, this is one of my greatest concerns for our path forwards, which is why it’s an area I’m actively going deep on. I’m also collating all the information I’m finding here, if you’re ready to dig in – Resources-Human Behavior – Andrea T Edwards.
The challenge today is these labels are used too freely, and that harms us. As the experts say, only 1% of the population fit into these dark characteristics, and it is pre-dominantly male, with women accounting for one in five.
Just in case you’re not going to spend the time listening to Nate Hagens, Dr. Reid Meloy and Dr. Nancy McWilliams, based on this conversation, I’ve extracted the titles, what each means, key characteristics, and what they lack. It then covers key relationships between traits and missing qualities across all dark traits, and yes, I used AI. I figure it’s of service to humanity and a useful way to use the tech. (Let me know if I got anything wrong.)
This is so important for us to understand, as it helps make sense of the crazy world we are in. We are being led, across the world, by people with these qualities – in governments, business, the media and beyond. From my research, behind this group is about 30% of the population, and they are waiting to replace them OR will die for them.
That means 70% of us aren’t caught up in this, and you can see the possibilities there, right? We are the majority. We can not be silent. We can not slip into the background because it’s all too hard. We must stand up, speak up and show up. Our future depends on it.
I know there is a tsunami of negativity, and many aren’t coping, but we can overcome, together. We must seize this moment and make sure we succeed.
This issue is one of the biggest challenges to address, but we can’t do it if we don’t understand it, because it is knowledge that gives us the power to change it. This group cannot lead the world right now. They have no foresight. They are not strategic. They always fail eventually, and unfortunately, they could take us all down with them.
That’s why we must get on top of this and understand it. So, here’s the wrap-up, based on the conversation in this video.
1. Narcissism
Definition: a preoccupation with being idealized and seeking connections that enhance one’s status. Narcissists live in a “world of one” where others are reflections of their ideal self.
Key characteristics:
- Preoccupation with being admired and idealized
- Seeking relationships that boost their status
- Self-esteem concerns that become problematic when excessive
- Everyone has some degree of narcissism (it exists on a spectrum)
What they lack:
- Genuine empathy for others
- Ability to see others as separate individuals with their own needs
- Humility and self-awareness
- Compassion
2. Machiavellianism
Definition: prioritizing consequences over means – “the ends always justify the means.” Originates from political theory and describes a manipulative orientation.
Key characteristics:
- Manipulative behavior
- Strategic thinking focused on outcomes
- Often seen in politics and power structures
- Not necessarily linked to psychopathy
What they lack:
- Personal integrity (the opposite of Machiavellianism)
- Ethical constraints
- Concern for the means used to achieve goals
- Moral compass
3. Psychopathy
Definition: “affective interpersonal deficiencies and chronic socially deviant behavior.” Characterized by a callous disregard for the rights and feelings of others and lack of empathy.
Key characteristics:
- Dominance-based relationships (predator-prey dynamic)
- Lack of reciprocal affection
- Chronic socially deviant behavior
- Can be charming and manipulative
- Often stems from the inability to form emotional attachments in childhood
What they lack:
- Empathy and emotional connection
- Ability to form genuine attachments
- Conscience and remorse
- Capacity for reciprocal affection (the basis of most human relationships)
Dark tetrad (includes sadism)
4. Sadism
Definition: experiencing pleasure through the dominance and suffering of another. Sexual sadism involves sexual arousal through the same.
Key characteristics:
- Derives pleasure from others’ suffering
- Enjoyment of dominance over others
- Can be sexual or non-sexual
- More extreme form of dark personality traits
What they lack:
- Basic human compassion
- Respect for others’ dignity
- Capacity for healthy pleasure and enjoyment
- Empathic response to suffering
Key relationships between traits
- Most narcissists are NOT psychopathic, but pathological narcissism is at the core of psychopathic personality
- Psychopathy has a strong genetic predisposition (biology trumps environment)
- These traits become particularly destructive when combined with power positions
- They exist on a spectrum – everyone has some degree of these traits
Missing qualities across all dark traits
All dark triad/tetrad personalities lack:
- Compassion and genuine care for others
- Empathy and emotional understanding
- Reciprocal affection (the ability to give and receive love)
- Personal integrity and ethical consistency
- Genuine connection with others as equals
The experts emphasized that these traits are particularly dangerous when individuals with them gain positions of power, as they can make decisions that adversely affect many people while lacking the empathy and compassion that would normally constrain such behavior.
Conclusion
Lock these definitions in your brain. Look around. See it. Then let’s do something about it. One very important action we can take is not voting them into power. We can also be active in our workplaces making sure dark triad and tetrad types don’t rise in the ranks (we all know them, they kiss up and kick down), as well as not supporting businesses with these leaders. The media we support needs to demonstrate integrity too.
We have big problems in the world; this is one of them. If you want to understand this over the arc of human history, Luke Kemp, a research fellow at the Center for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge, has just published Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse. My copy arrived today, and I can’t wait to dig into it, after watching his interviews. Check it out.
In the meantime, here’s some ways our ancestors recognized and dealt with it
- How the ancient Greeks kept ruthless narcissists from capturing their democracy – and what modern politics could learn from them
- Narcissists and psychopaths: how some societies ensure these dangerous people never wield power
- Papua New Guinea Tribal Leadership
- Berserkers and Ulfhednar | Elite Viking Warriors of Odin
Hope this is of service to you.
Cheers
Andrea
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