Psychology Facts

▲ Dark Empathy / Dark Triad ▲

Dark Empath Personality Merges Empathy With Dark Triad Traits.

》In psychology, the dark triad comprises the personality traits of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.

》Narcissism is characterized by the pursuit of ego gratification, vanity, a sense of superiority, grandiosity, dominance, and entitlement.

》Machiavellianism is marked by manipulation – a calculating, duplicitous, and amoral personality, focused on self-interest and personal gain.

》Psychopathy is distinguished by callousness, impulsivity, and enduring antisocial and bold behavior

》All three dark triad traits are conceptually distinct although empirical evidence shows them to be overlapping. They are associated with a callous-manipulative interpersonal style.

》The three dark triad traits each had their own pattern of empathic responses. The three traits also had different relationships with aggression.

》This dark triad of personality was first proposed in 2002, and since then research and public fascination with these antisocial traits has flourished.

》Heym and associates recently found that Dark Empaths made up 19.3% in a group of 991 people.

》Studies found that the dark triad was positively correlated with

being younger,

being male,

being motivated by power,

instrumental sex, achievement

and affiliation (but not intimacy),

having self-enhancement values,

immature defense styles,

conspicuous consumption,

selfishness and viewing their creative work and religious immortality as routes to death transcendence.

》The dark triad was negatively correlated with life satisfaction,

conscientiousness,

agreeableness,

self-transcendent values,

compassion,

empathy,

a quiet ego,

a belief that humans are good and a belief that one's own self is good.

》Recent comparative research on the Dark Triad has attempted to analyze differences among these three malevolent personalities. To varying degrees, all act aggressively out of self-interest and lack empathy and remorse.

》They're skilled at manipulating, exploiting, and deceiving others, though their motivations and tactics vary. They violate social norms and moral values and lie, deceive, cheat, steal, and bully.

》"A dark empath may actually be more dangerous than a more cold and unfeeling dark triad type, because the so-called dark empath can draw you in closer—and do more harm as a result," says Ramani Durvasula, PhD,

》Researchers surveyed 991 participants and measured their traits using the Big Five model of personality traits, they found dark empaths to be more extroverted, agreeable, and neurotic than their companions in the dark triad.

》The tradeoff is that dark empaths were found to have higher degrees of malicious humor, a term that refers to laughing at someone (and often groups) you think is beneath you. They also rate higher when it comes to guilt induction, or being able to guilt others.

》If you think you may be involved with a Dark Triad personality, seek psychotherapy. Don't be afraid to talk to others about your experience. Covering up bad behavior is a common but dangerous form of denial.