WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.600 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Yeah. Today, we 00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:05.339 are cracking open a file that feels a little 00:00:05.339 --> 00:00:07.860 bit like we're profiling a team of supervillains. 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:11.640 Right. But, and here's the kicker, we aren't 00:00:11.640 --> 00:00:14.359 talking about comic book characters, and we definitely 00:00:14.359 --> 00:00:16.420 aren't talking about criminals locked away in 00:00:16.420 --> 00:00:18.820 a high -security prison. No, not at all. In fact, 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:21.480 if you look at the research, we are essentially 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:25.019 profiling the person sitting in the cubicle next 00:00:25.019 --> 00:00:27.399 to you. Oh, wow. Or the person you matched with 00:00:27.399 --> 00:00:30.160 on a dating app last night. Which is a terrifying 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:32.380 thought to start the day with. We are talking 00:00:32.380 --> 00:00:34.960 about people you interact with daily. They could 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:38.719 be your boss, your neighbor, or, well, let's 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:40.079 hope not. But they could be sleeping in your 00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:42.000 bed. It is, yeah. It's a distinct possibility. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:46.320 We are diving into the dark triad. It sounds 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:49.479 ominous, doesn't it? Like a secret society or... 00:00:50.009 --> 00:00:51.869 I don't know, a heavy metal album. It does. And 00:00:51.869 --> 00:00:54.189 for good reason. The Dark Triad is a psychological 00:00:54.189 --> 00:00:56.450 theory that really gained traction after being 00:00:56.450 --> 00:01:00.670 published by Delroy Paulus and Kevin Williams 00:01:00.670 --> 00:01:04.549 back in 2002. And it groups together three specific 00:01:04.549 --> 00:01:07.590 distinct personality traits that are, to put 00:01:07.590 --> 00:01:10.569 it mildly, offensive. Offensive personality types. 00:01:10.650 --> 00:01:12.709 I love that the academic literature just comes 00:01:12.709 --> 00:01:15.010 out and says it. It's not challenging or difficult. 00:01:15.170 --> 00:01:17.489 It's just offensive. They don't mince words. 00:01:18.230 --> 00:01:20.670 But the crucial thing we need to establish right 00:01:20.670 --> 00:01:23.349 at the start of this deep dive, the mission, 00:01:23.489 --> 00:01:26.310 if you will, is that we are looking at subclinical 00:01:26.310 --> 00:01:28.989 traits. Okay. This is the most important distinction 00:01:28.989 --> 00:01:31.709 to make before we scare everyone listening. Okay. 00:01:31.769 --> 00:01:34.250 Let's unpack that immediately. Subclinical means 00:01:34.250 --> 00:01:36.189 we aren't talking about a medical diagnosis, 00:01:36.329 --> 00:01:37.890 right? Sure. We aren't talking about someone 00:01:37.890 --> 00:01:40.739 who needs to be institutionalized. Exactly. When 00:01:40.739 --> 00:01:42.760 we talk about these traits in the dark triad, 00:01:42.780 --> 00:01:45.319 we aren't talking about someone who has been, 00:01:45.319 --> 00:01:47.819 you know, formerly diagnosed with personality 00:01:47.819 --> 00:01:49.700 disorder, like antisocial personality disorder. 00:01:49.859 --> 00:01:52.200 Although, as we'll see, they share some DNA. 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:55.500 These are non -pathological types found in the 00:01:55.500 --> 00:01:57.640 general population. These are people who function 00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:00.540 in society. They hold down jobs. They have relationships. 00:02:00.700 --> 00:02:04.219 They pay taxes. But they possess these malevolent 00:02:04.219 --> 00:02:07.590 qualities. That makes it almost scarier. They 00:02:07.590 --> 00:02:10.129 walk among us undiscovered. They are operating 00:02:10.129 --> 00:02:12.009 within the social contract, but they are breaking 00:02:12.009 --> 00:02:14.110 the spirit of it constantly. That's a great way 00:02:14.110 --> 00:02:16.370 to put it. So introduce us to the lineup. Who 00:02:16.370 --> 00:02:19.229 are the three members of this triad? Okay, so 00:02:19.229 --> 00:02:22.110 first you have narcissism. The one we all think 00:02:22.110 --> 00:02:24.949 we know, the selfie taker. It's deeper than that. 00:02:25.030 --> 00:02:28.210 I mean, it's about grandiosity, pride, egotism, 00:02:28.229 --> 00:02:32.060 and a distinct lack of empathy. Then the second 00:02:32.060 --> 00:02:34.699 member is Machiavellianism. Which sounds like 00:02:34.699 --> 00:02:37.300 a political thriller. It's rooted in that, yes. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:40.719 This is characterized by manipulation, a total 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:43.419 indifference to morality, and a calculated focus 00:02:43.419 --> 00:02:46.139 on self -interest. Okay. And finally, the third 00:02:46.139 --> 00:02:48.919 member, often considered the darkest of the bunch, 00:02:49.240 --> 00:02:51.860 psychopathy. And what does that involve? This 00:02:51.860 --> 00:02:55.500 is more about impulsivity, thrill -seeking, selfishness, 00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:58.500 callousness, and remorselessness. So just to 00:02:58.500 --> 00:03:00.889 give us a shorthand here. We have the entitled 00:03:00.889 --> 00:03:03.930 egotist, the calculating schemer, and the callous 00:03:03.930 --> 00:03:05.669 thrill seeker. That's a good shorthand, yeah. 00:03:06.530 --> 00:03:09.270 And while they are distinct, and we will break 00:03:09.270 --> 00:03:11.750 down exactly how they differ, what binds them 00:03:11.750 --> 00:03:14.629 together into this triad is a specific interpersonal 00:03:14.629 --> 00:03:18.370 style. The research calls it a callous manipulative 00:03:18.370 --> 00:03:20.789 style. Basically a way of interacting with people 00:03:20.789 --> 00:03:23.590 that lacks warmth and treats others as tools. 00:03:24.139 --> 00:03:26.539 As objects. Precisely. And if you look at how 00:03:26.539 --> 00:03:28.759 these traits map onto the big five personality 00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:31.599 traits, which is sort of the gold standard model 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:34.280 in psychology, the strongest correlation for 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:37.060 the dark triad is with low agreeableness. Which 00:03:37.060 --> 00:03:39.259 makes sense. They aren't nice. They're not agreeable. 00:03:39.340 --> 00:03:42.240 They are not agreeable. But interestingly, neuroticism 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:45.500 and a lack of conscientiousness also play a role 00:03:45.500 --> 00:03:47.699 depending on which trait you're looking at. And 00:03:47.699 --> 00:03:50.360 the outcomes. Generally, high scores in these 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:52.599 areas correlate with higher crime rates, causing 00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:55.120 social distress and creating severe problems 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:57.439 in organizations. But I read something in the 00:03:57.439 --> 00:03:59.319 research that surprised me. It's not all bad 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:01.080 news for the person with these traits, is it? 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:03.139 There's a weird flip side where these traits 00:04:03.139 --> 00:04:05.620 actually help people function in high stress 00:04:05.620 --> 00:04:08.979 environments. There is. Yes. While they cause 00:04:08.979 --> 00:04:11.680 distress to others, these traits are also associated 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:14.830 with certain, let's say. positive outcomes like 00:04:14.830 --> 00:04:17.649 mental toughness these individuals are often 00:04:17.649 --> 00:04:21.310 more willing to embrace challenges so the same 00:04:21.310 --> 00:04:23.410 trait that makes someone a nightmare to work 00:04:23.410 --> 00:04:25.910 for might make them the only person willing to 00:04:25.910 --> 00:04:28.990 take on a high stakes high pressure project where 00:04:28.990 --> 00:04:31.009 everyone else is crumbling exactly they just 00:04:31.009 --> 00:04:32.649 don't feel the pressure the same way we do and 00:04:32.649 --> 00:04:34.649 that complexity is what we are going to explore 00:04:34.649 --> 00:04:38.360 we need to move past a simple good versus evil 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:41.399 and look at adaptive versus maladaptive. OK, 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:43.360 let's get into the weeds. I want to deconstruct 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:45.860 this triad piece by piece. Let's start with the 00:04:45.860 --> 00:04:47.839 one that seems to dominate social media discussions 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:51.199 these days. Narcissism. Right. Narcissism is 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:54.300 the grand one. Individuals who score high here 00:04:54.300 --> 00:04:58.360 display entitlement, dominance and a sense of 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:00.600 superiority. This is the do you know who I am? 00:05:00.889 --> 00:05:03.430 energy very much so but here is where it gets 00:05:03.430 --> 00:05:05.250 interesting regarding their personality profile 00:05:05.250 --> 00:05:08.110 narcissism actually correlates positively with 00:05:08.110 --> 00:05:10.470 extroversion and openness wait so they can be 00:05:10.470 --> 00:05:13.120 the life of the party Oh, absolutely. They can 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:16.160 be incredibly charming. They are open to new 00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:18.420 experiences and they are out there in the world. 00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:20.500 They aren't hiding in the corner. Okay, so they're 00:05:20.500 --> 00:05:23.439 outgoing. Very. But it correlates negatively 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:27.060 with agreeableness. So they are charming, but 00:05:27.060 --> 00:05:29.720 they aren't kind. That is a dangerous combination. 00:05:30.120 --> 00:05:32.459 It's like, I love you, but only because you're 00:05:32.459 --> 00:05:34.720 listening to me talk about how great I am. That's 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:37.519 a very accurate way to put it. Now, historically, 00:05:37.660 --> 00:05:39.819 assessing this required clinical interviews. 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:44.459 In 1979, Raskin and Hall developed the narcissistic 00:05:44.459 --> 00:05:47.920 personality inventory or the NPI. That became 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:49.860 the standard for measuring this in the general 00:05:49.860 --> 00:05:52.779 population. outside of a clinical setting. And 00:05:52.779 --> 00:05:54.620 the research distinguishes between different 00:05:54.620 --> 00:05:57.139 flavors of narcissism, right? It's not just one 00:05:57.139 --> 00:05:59.899 monolithic thing. That's a crucial nuance. The 00:05:59.899 --> 00:06:02.740 MPI mostly measures grandiose narcissism. That's 00:06:02.740 --> 00:06:05.199 the bold, I am the greatest type, the classic 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:08.720 show off. But there is also pathological narcissism 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:10.800 and vulnerable narcissism, which we will definitely 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:13.579 touch on later. But generally, when we talk about 00:06:13.579 --> 00:06:15.920 the dark triad narcissist, we are talking about 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:19.160 that grandiose, entitled figure. They genuinely 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:21.149 believe they're better. than you. It's not an 00:06:21.149 --> 00:06:23.290 act. Right. They've bought their own hype. Okay. 00:06:23.370 --> 00:06:25.949 Yeah. Moving to the second member, the one with 00:06:25.949 --> 00:06:29.550 the coolest name, Machiavellianism. This comes 00:06:29.550 --> 00:06:31.709 from Niccolo Machiavelli, the Renaissance philosopher, 00:06:31.949 --> 00:06:34.170 right? Ideally, yes. The philosophy was sort 00:06:34.170 --> 00:06:37.310 of formalized into a psychological trait by Christie 00:06:37.310 --> 00:06:40.649 and Geis back in 1970. And what defines a high 00:06:40.649 --> 00:06:43.029 mach, as they call them? A high mach is someone 00:06:43.029 --> 00:06:45.990 who is callous, unprincipled, and excessively 00:06:45.990 --> 00:06:49.370 motivated by self -interest. But the core belief... 00:06:49.629 --> 00:06:52.149 The engine that drives them is the belief that 00:06:52.149 --> 00:06:54.769 interpersonal manipulation is the key to life 00:06:54.769 --> 00:06:57.509 success. So it's not just that they do manipulate, 00:06:57.589 --> 00:06:59.350 it's that they believe manipulation is how the 00:06:59.350 --> 00:07:01.050 world works. Like if you aren't manipulating, 00:07:01.250 --> 00:07:03.569 you're just losing. Correct. They have a deeply 00:07:03.569 --> 00:07:06.189 cynical view of human nature. They view people 00:07:06.189 --> 00:07:09.490 as means to an end, pawns on a chessboard. How 00:07:09.490 --> 00:07:11.550 does this differ from the other two? Because 00:07:11.550 --> 00:07:13.990 the psychopath manipulates too, right? They do, 00:07:14.250 --> 00:07:16.899 but the style is very different. Paulus notes 00:07:16.899 --> 00:07:19.459 a key distinction here. Psychopaths tend to be 00:07:19.459 --> 00:07:22.759 impulsive and careless. High Macs, on the other 00:07:22.759 --> 00:07:25.379 hand, are calculating. They plan for the long 00:07:25.379 --> 00:07:28.920 term. They have patience. Ah, okay. So the psychopath 00:07:28.920 --> 00:07:31.959 might smash a window to grab a wallet because 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:34.660 they want it now. The Machiavellian befriends 00:07:34.660 --> 00:07:37.220 the security guard, waits three months, gets 00:07:37.220 --> 00:07:39.899 the code, and cleans out the safe without breaking 00:07:39.899 --> 00:07:44.060 anything. That is a perfect analogy. Yes. Machiavellianism 00:07:44.060 --> 00:07:46.839 is about strategy. It's a cold, patient game. 00:07:47.220 --> 00:07:50.519 Low mocks, by contrast, are empathetic and believe 00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:52.680 that people are generally good. And high mocks 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:55.160 think low mocks are suckers. Utter fools, yes. 00:07:55.459 --> 00:07:57.699 That brings us to the third, and you said arguably 00:07:57.699 --> 00:08:01.019 the darkest member, psychopathy. This is considered 00:08:01.019 --> 00:08:03.560 the most malevolent of the three. Here we are 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:05.939 looking at low empathy, often referred to as 00:08:05.939 --> 00:08:09.139 callous unemotional traits, or CU and high impulsivity 00:08:09.139 --> 00:08:11.180 and thrill -seeking. And how do we spot this 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:13.220 one? I know there's a famous checklist. Yes, 00:08:13.339 --> 00:08:16.240 Robert Hare's psychopathy checklist, the PCLR. 00:08:16.579 --> 00:08:19.319 Hare really revolutionized this field. He noted 00:08:19.319 --> 00:08:22.160 something very important. You can't just ask 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:24.500 a psychopath if they are a psychopath. Because 00:08:24.500 --> 00:08:26.839 they'll lie. Because they'll lie, or they simply 00:08:26.839 --> 00:08:28.680 lack the insight to even understand the question. 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:32.370 Self -reporting is incredibly tricky. However, 00:08:32.509 --> 00:08:34.590 for the subclinical population, the people we 00:08:34.590 --> 00:08:37.649 are talking about today, there are self -report 00:08:37.649 --> 00:08:40.049 scales, things like the Levinson primary and 00:08:40.049 --> 00:08:42.690 secondary psychopathy scales. And unlike the 00:08:42.690 --> 00:08:44.750 Machiavellian who is planning that heist for 00:08:44.750 --> 00:08:48.330 months, the psychopath is linked to recklessness. 00:08:48.570 --> 00:08:50.830 Recklessness and carelessness. They simply do 00:08:50.830 --> 00:08:53.370 not feel the anxiety or the remorse that stops 00:08:53.370 --> 00:08:55.330 the rest of us from doing dangerous or harmful 00:08:55.330 --> 00:08:58.009 things. It's like an absence of the brakes that 00:08:58.009 --> 00:08:59.929 most of us have built into our brains. So we 00:08:59.929 --> 00:09:02.289 have the entitled narcissist. The calculating 00:09:02.289 --> 00:09:04.629 Machiavellian and the impulsive psychopath. That's 00:09:04.629 --> 00:09:08.090 the triad. But the research suggests that three 00:09:08.090 --> 00:09:10.529 might not be enough. There's a hidden fourth 00:09:10.529 --> 00:09:12.710 member trying to get into the club. Yes, there's 00:09:12.710 --> 00:09:14.870 a debate about expanding to the dark tetrad. 00:09:15.029 --> 00:09:16.509 This sounds like a heavy metal band. What is 00:09:16.509 --> 00:09:21.049 the fourth trait? Sadism. Oof. Okay. Why do some 00:09:21.049 --> 00:09:22.750 researchers argue this needs to be separate? 00:09:22.889 --> 00:09:25.389 Doesn't the psychopath hurt people? They do. 00:09:25.570 --> 00:09:28.269 But here is the critical distinction. The dark 00:09:28.269 --> 00:09:30.850 triad involves callousness, an indifference to 00:09:30.850 --> 00:09:32.740 suffering. I don't care if I hurt you to get 00:09:32.740 --> 00:09:36.200 what I want. Sadism involves enjoying inflicting 00:09:36.200 --> 00:09:38.019 suffering. That is a terrifying distinction. 00:09:38.179 --> 00:09:40.440 So the psychopath runs you over because you were 00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:42.899 in their way. The sadist runs you over because 00:09:42.899 --> 00:09:45.059 they like the sound it makes. In a graphic sense, 00:09:45.220 --> 00:09:48.039 yes. That's the core of it. Studies show that 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:50.639 sadism predicts unprovoked aggression better 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:53.120 than the other three traits. Unprovoked. Unprovoked. 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:56.379 It implies a specific pleasure derived from cruelty. 00:09:56.759 --> 00:09:59.360 Some experiments show that only people with sadistic 00:09:59.360 --> 00:10:01.759 traits actually felt better. They experience 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:04.279 a positive affect after being cruel to someone. 00:10:04.460 --> 00:10:07.139 The cruelty itself was the reward. And does it 00:10:07.139 --> 00:10:09.740 predict behavior that the others don't? It does. 00:10:09.899 --> 00:10:12.159 It predicts delinquent behavior in high school 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:14.820 students separately from the others. It predicts 00:10:14.820 --> 00:10:17.019 harmful behavior against living creatures and 00:10:17.019 --> 00:10:20.320 what they call brutal amoral dispositions. So 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:23.159 theirs is a very strong argument for the dark 00:10:23.159 --> 00:10:26.389 tetrad. The motivation is just different. Now, 00:10:26.450 --> 00:10:28.289 you mentioned earlier that narcissism has different 00:10:28.289 --> 00:10:31.549 flavors. The outline mentions a vulnerable dark 00:10:31.549 --> 00:10:34.990 triad. What happens when you flip the script? 00:10:35.210 --> 00:10:38.149 Because we usually picture these people as confident 00:10:38.149 --> 00:10:40.990 and loud. Right. This challenges the idea that 00:10:40.990 --> 00:10:43.690 these traits are always loud and grandiose. The 00:10:43.690 --> 00:10:46.350 vulnerable dark triad includes vulnerable narcissism, 00:10:46.529 --> 00:10:49.309 secondary psychopathy, and borderline personality 00:10:49.309 --> 00:10:51.490 traits. So what does that look like in a person? 00:10:51.590 --> 00:10:54.080 How does that manifest? Instead of the grandiose, 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:56.700 I am the king of the world, it's more introverted, 00:10:56.860 --> 00:10:59.759 disinhibited, and hostile. They are driven by 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:03.059 internal, embedded desires. They might be the 00:11:03.059 --> 00:11:05.539 person who is quietly seething, feeling like 00:11:05.539 --> 00:11:07.399 the world owes them something they aren't getting, 00:11:07.539 --> 00:11:10.720 and reacting with the sort of passive or sometimes 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:13.759 active hostility. The resentful type. The person 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:15.600 who thinks they are a genius, but the world is 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:18.830 conspiring against them. Yes. While the classic 00:11:18.830 --> 00:11:21.629 dark triad is often influenced by external factors 00:11:21.629 --> 00:11:23.750 they can control, you know, seeking admiration, 00:11:23.909 --> 00:11:26.850 seeking power, the vulnerable type is driven 00:11:26.850 --> 00:11:29.730 by these internal storms of insecurity and negative 00:11:29.730 --> 00:11:32.149 emotion. Before we move to where these traits 00:11:32.149 --> 00:11:34.429 come from, we have to address a bit of academic 00:11:34.429 --> 00:11:38.289 drama, the jangle fallacy. I love when academics 00:11:38.289 --> 00:11:40.850 fight over terminology. Yes, the jangle fallacy. 00:11:41.049 --> 00:11:43.250 This is a critique that suggests we might be 00:11:43.250 --> 00:11:46.139 using different names for the same thing. Specifically, 00:11:46.379 --> 00:11:49.059 are Machiavellianism and psychopathy actually 00:11:49.059 --> 00:11:51.940 distinct? They do seem to overlap a lot. Callousness, 00:11:52.059 --> 00:11:54.860 manipulation. They do. They share nearly identical 00:11:54.860 --> 00:11:57.559 correlations with the big five, low agreeableness, 00:11:57.700 --> 00:12:00.600 low conscientiousness. Some researchers, like 00:12:00.600 --> 00:12:03.179 McCoskey, argued way back that Machiavellianism 00:12:03.179 --> 00:12:05.159 is really just a measure of psychopathy in normal 00:12:05.159 --> 00:12:07.620 people. A global measure of psychopathy. So a 00:12:07.620 --> 00:12:11.740 Machiavellian is just a mild psychopath. Or a 00:12:11.740 --> 00:12:13.899 more functional one. Exactly. That's the argument. 00:12:14.039 --> 00:12:16.759 Even recent studies in 2016 suggest they are 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:18.679 almost indistinguishable in how they measure 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:21.440 on personality tests. But the counter argument, 00:12:21.659 --> 00:12:24.460 championed by Paulus and others, brings us back 00:12:24.460 --> 00:12:27.360 to that impulse control. Machiavellian's plan. 00:12:28.460 --> 00:12:30.460 Psychopath's act. That might be the thin red 00:12:30.460 --> 00:12:32.399 line that separates them. It's the difference 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:34.759 between a sniper and a guy with a sledgehammer. 00:12:35.340 --> 00:12:38.419 Both destroy the target. But the method is totally 00:12:38.419 --> 00:12:40.539 different. That's a very valid way to view it. 00:12:40.580 --> 00:12:42.720 And that method matters when you're trying to 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:44.659 spot them in an organization or in your life. 00:12:44.940 --> 00:12:47.379 One is a long term threat. The other is an immediate 00:12:47.379 --> 00:12:49.740 one. All right. Let's get into the origin story. 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:53.120 The part everyone wants to know. Nature versus 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:56.100 nurture. Are people born this way or are they 00:12:56.100 --> 00:12:58.509 made? As with most things in psychology, it's 00:12:58.509 --> 00:13:01.490 a mix. But the ratios differ in really interesting 00:13:01.490 --> 00:13:04.990 ways. Twin studies have been huge here. We know 00:13:04.990 --> 00:13:07.250 that all three traits have substantial genetic 00:13:07.250 --> 00:13:09.889 components. So it runs in families? It can, yes. 00:13:10.090 --> 00:13:12.289 Which ones are the most genetic? Psychopathy 00:13:12.289 --> 00:13:15.029 and narcissism are more heritable. If your parents 00:13:15.029 --> 00:13:17.470 have these traits, there is a significant genetic 00:13:17.470 --> 00:13:20.029 role of the dice there. The predisposition is 00:13:20.029 --> 00:13:22.769 stronger. And Machiavellianism. That is the outlier. 00:13:23.850 --> 00:13:25.769 Machiavellianism is the most influenced by the 00:13:25.769 --> 00:13:28.549 environment. specifically shared environmental 00:13:28.549 --> 00:13:31.730 factors like parenting or the neighborhood you 00:13:31.730 --> 00:13:34.889 grew up in. Parenting plays a huge role. A study 00:13:34.889 --> 00:13:37.509 of German adolescents showed links between parental 00:13:37.509 --> 00:13:40.970 rejection from both parents' punishment and overprotection 00:13:40.970 --> 00:13:44.309 and the development of these traits. Wait, overprotection? 00:13:44.309 --> 00:13:47.490 I would have guessed neglect. That seems counterintuitive. 00:13:47.610 --> 00:13:50.120 You'd think so, wouldn't you? But overprotection 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:52.340 can be incredibly suffocating and controlling. 00:13:52.620 --> 00:13:54.799 It can create an environment where the child 00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:57.919 learns that direct requests don't work, so they 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:00.000 have to manipulate to get any breathing room 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:02.240 or autonomy. So you're breeding a little schemer. 00:14:02.679 --> 00:14:06.259 In a way, yes. Generally, Machiavellianism seems 00:14:06.259 --> 00:14:08.460 to be something you learn. It's a strategy you 00:14:08.460 --> 00:14:11.360 adopt based on your environment. It's a worldview 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:13.960 you develop. That makes perfect sense. If you 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:15.980 grow up in a house where everything is a transaction 00:14:15.980 --> 00:14:19.700 or a power play, you learn to be a skeever. You 00:14:19.700 --> 00:14:23.000 learn that trust is a weakness. Exactly. You 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:26.039 adapt to the ecosystem you are in. Psychopathy 00:14:26.039 --> 00:14:28.740 might be the hardware you're born with, but Machiavellianism 00:14:28.740 --> 00:14:31.139 is the software you install based on your early 00:14:31.139 --> 00:14:33.379 experiences. Now this is the part that always 00:14:33.379 --> 00:14:37.120 blows my mind. Evolution. If these traits are 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:40.259 so toxic, if they hurt the tribe, so to speak, 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:43.059 why hasn't natural selection weeded them out? 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:45.639 Why are they still here after thousands of years? 00:14:45.820 --> 00:14:47.960 That is the paradox, isn't it? And the answer 00:14:47.960 --> 00:14:50.639 might lie in what's called life history theory. 00:14:50.899 --> 00:14:53.539 OK, break that down for us. It posits that organisms, 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:56.320 including humans, generally follow one of two 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.840 strategies, a slow reproductive strategy or a 00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:03.639 fast life strategy. Slow is. We think of as traditional 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:06.299 parenting. Slow is investing heavily in parenting, 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:09.100 long -term pair bonding, delayed gratification, 00:15:09.419 --> 00:15:11.639 building for the future. You have fewer kids, 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:13.659 but you invest everything in them, ensuring they 00:15:13.659 --> 00:15:16.019 survive and thrive. Okay. And fast life strategy. 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:18.980 Fast life strategy is an emphasis on mating over 00:15:18.980 --> 00:15:21.860 parenting, immediate rewards over delayed ones, 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:24.860 opportunistic behavior. It's about quantity over 00:15:24.860 --> 00:15:27.500 quality in a biological sense. So living fast, 00:15:27.700 --> 00:15:29.580 dying young, and leaving a lot of offspring. 00:15:30.039 --> 00:15:32.919 In a way, yes. The theory suggests that dark 00:15:32.919 --> 00:15:35.700 triad traits are an evolutionary adaptation for 00:15:35.700 --> 00:15:39.000 a fast strategy. If the environment is volatile 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:41.659 or dangerous, it might make evolutionary sense 00:15:41.659 --> 00:15:44.200 to be opportunistic, to meet with as many partners 00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:46.639 as possible, and to take what you can right now 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:49.419 because tomorrow isn't guaranteed. That completely 00:15:49.419 --> 00:15:52.740 reframes it. So in a stable village, the nice 00:15:52.740 --> 00:15:55.600 cooperative guy wins. Because he builds trust. 00:15:56.120 --> 00:15:59.120 But in a chaotic war zone or a collapsing society, 00:15:59.539 --> 00:16:02.059 the dark triad guy might pass on more genes. 00:16:02.379 --> 00:16:04.299 Potentially. It's a high -risk, high -reward 00:16:04.299 --> 00:16:06.980 strategy. And even in modern society, these individuals 00:16:06.980 --> 00:16:09.740 can be highly successful. They acquire resources. 00:16:10.019 --> 00:16:12.700 They attain status, which are proxies for reproductive 00:16:12.700 --> 00:16:15.419 fitness. The catch is that this success is usually 00:16:15.419 --> 00:16:17.440 short -lived. They burn bridges. They burn every 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:19.220 bridge. It's a strategy that works for a sprint, 00:16:19.320 --> 00:16:21.700 not a marathon. But if you can sprint fast enough 00:16:21.700 --> 00:16:23.679 to reproduce before you burn out or get cast 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:26.710 out, Evolution keeps you in the gene pool. Speaking 00:16:26.710 --> 00:16:28.909 of burning bridges, let's talk about these traits 00:16:28.909 --> 00:16:33.309 in the wild. Section four, behaviors. Let's start 00:16:33.309 --> 00:16:35.490 with the workplace, because I think a lot of 00:16:35.490 --> 00:16:37.029 listeners are going to be nodding their heads 00:16:37.029 --> 00:16:39.909 here. The workplace is a prime hunting ground. 00:16:40.509 --> 00:16:43.590 The research is very clear that dark triad traits 00:16:43.590 --> 00:16:45.730 are linked to acquiring leadership positions 00:16:45.730 --> 00:16:49.250 and, in some cases, better salaries. Especially 00:16:49.250 --> 00:16:50.850 the Machiavellians, right? They're playing the 00:16:50.850 --> 00:16:53.960 long game. Yes. If you view people as tools, 00:16:54.299 --> 00:16:57.440 management can seem like a natural fit. But what's 00:16:57.440 --> 00:16:59.759 fascinating is how they manipulate to get there. 00:17:00.220 --> 00:17:02.679 Jonathan and colleagues did a big meta -analysis 00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:04.640 on this. What's the breakdown? How do they trick 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:07.619 us into promoting them? Machiavellians use excessive 00:17:07.619 --> 00:17:10.619 charm. They schmooze. They are masters of impression 00:17:10.619 --> 00:17:12.940 management. They figure out exactly what the 00:17:12.940 --> 00:17:15.470 boss wants to hear and they say it. And the narcissists? 00:17:15.529 --> 00:17:17.950 They rely on physical appearance, they look the 00:17:17.950 --> 00:17:20.589 part, they dress well, they groom impeccably, 00:17:20.750 --> 00:17:23.309 they walk into the room with an aura of confidence, 00:17:23.569 --> 00:17:25.450 and they just feel like a leader, even if they 00:17:25.450 --> 00:17:28.089 have no substance. And the psychopaths? Physical 00:17:28.089 --> 00:17:31.750 threats. Whoa. In the office. We aren't talking 00:17:31.750 --> 00:17:33.269 about punching people in the break room, are 00:17:33.269 --> 00:17:36.349 we? It can be very subtle. Intimidation, standing 00:17:36.349 --> 00:17:39.329 too close, a certain look, the implication of 00:17:39.329 --> 00:17:42.269 don't cross me. It's an aggression that forces 00:17:42.269 --> 00:17:45.430 compliance through fear, not persuasion. So they 00:17:45.430 --> 00:17:48.089 get the job. Narcissist ace the interview because 00:17:48.089 --> 00:17:50.910 they make a great first impression. But what 00:17:50.910 --> 00:17:53.150 happens once they are in charge? Destruction 00:17:53.150 --> 00:17:55.930 of value. This is the critical warning for any 00:17:55.930 --> 00:17:59.710 hiring managers listening. A 2017 UK study found 00:17:59.710 --> 00:18:01.849 that companies with leaders showing psychopathic 00:18:01.849 --> 00:18:04.589 characteristics actually destroy shareholder 00:18:04.589 --> 00:18:07.089 value. How so? They tend to have poor future 00:18:07.089 --> 00:18:09.450 returns on equity. They make reckless decisions 00:18:09.450 --> 00:18:11.410 that benefit them in the short term but harm 00:18:11.410 --> 00:18:14.250 the company long term. So they might boost the 00:18:14.250 --> 00:18:16.750 stock price for a quarter by slashing jobs or 00:18:16.750 --> 00:18:19.069 cooking the books. But in the long run, they 00:18:19.069 --> 00:18:21.650 tank the company. Precisely. They optimize for 00:18:21.650 --> 00:18:23.970 their own bonus, not the company's health. They 00:18:23.970 --> 00:18:26.410 also engage in knowledge hiding and knowledge 00:18:26.410 --> 00:18:29.109 sabotage. They hoard information to maintain 00:18:29.109 --> 00:18:31.750 power, which cripples the team's ability to function 00:18:31.750 --> 00:18:34.009 and innovate. Let's move from the boardroom to 00:18:34.009 --> 00:18:37.150 the internet. Trolls. We've all dealt with them. 00:18:37.250 --> 00:18:40.319 Is there a connection? Ah, the internet troll. 00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:43.519 Yes, recent studies have found a very, very strong 00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:47.039 link between internet trolling and the dark triad, 00:18:47.099 --> 00:18:51.380 specifically sadism and psychopathy. So it's 00:18:51.380 --> 00:18:53.240 not just boredom or people having a bad day. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:55.599 No. Trolling is described in the literature as 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:58.980 a manifestation of everyday sadism. They are 00:18:58.980 --> 00:19:01.259 getting genuine pleasure from the distress of 00:19:01.259 --> 00:19:04.799 others online. The suffering is the point. That 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:06.910 explains why you can't reason with them. They 00:19:06.910 --> 00:19:08.349 aren't looking for a debate. They're looking 00:19:08.349 --> 00:19:11.609 for your pain. Exactly. Engaging just feeds the 00:19:11.609 --> 00:19:14.150 sadism. You are giving them the supply they crave. 00:19:14.309 --> 00:19:17.009 The best strategy is to starve them of it. What 00:19:17.009 --> 00:19:20.069 about actual crime? Not just mean tweets, but 00:19:20.069 --> 00:19:22.910 real world and cybercrime. In the real world, 00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:25.490 high scores predict violent delinquency and interpersonal 00:19:25.490 --> 00:19:28.230 violence. But when we look at cybercrime, we 00:19:28.230 --> 00:19:30.789 see a fascinating specialization based on the 00:19:30.789 --> 00:19:32.730 traits. It's like a heist movie where everyone 00:19:32.730 --> 00:19:34.630 has a specific role. Okay, I like that. So who 00:19:34.630 --> 00:19:37.279 does what? A study showed that psychopathy correlates 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:40.940 with speed, fast exploitation. They smash and 00:19:40.940 --> 00:19:43.640 grab the data. They want the quick hit, the immediate 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:46.359 reward. And the narcissist. Privilege, escalation, 00:19:46.359 --> 00:19:48.279 and persistence. They want the high -level access. 00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:50.460 They want to be the admin. They want to be the 00:19:50.460 --> 00:19:52.920 one in charge. Because of the status, the power. 00:19:53.299 --> 00:19:55.140 But likely, they want to be the god of the system. 00:19:55.380 --> 00:19:58.380 And Machiavellianism, true to form, correlates 00:19:58.380 --> 00:20:01.309 with stealth. Avoiding detection. They are the 00:20:01.309 --> 00:20:03.009 ones who stay in the system for months without 00:20:03.009 --> 00:20:06.009 you knowing, siphoning off data slowly and carefully. 00:20:06.250 --> 00:20:08.710 That is wildly specific. It makes total sense. 00:20:08.890 --> 00:20:12.730 Okay, let's talk about love. Or maybe love isn't 00:20:12.730 --> 00:20:16.200 the right word. Sex and relationships. Mating 00:20:16.200 --> 00:20:18.640 strategy is probably the more accurate biological 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:22.259 term here, yes. The dark triad is heavily linked 00:20:22.259 --> 00:20:24.859 to a short -term focus. One -night stands, hookups, 00:20:24.940 --> 00:20:26.640 friends with benefits. They aren't looking for 00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:28.640 a soulmate to settle down with. Generally, no. 00:20:28.740 --> 00:20:31.160 They're also much more prone to mate poaching. 00:20:31.359 --> 00:20:34.319 Sealing someone else's partner. Yes. It's a game 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:37.519 to them, a sign of status and dominance. And 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:39.819 interestingly, they're willing to lower their 00:20:39.819 --> 00:20:42.039 standards significantly for short term mates. 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:44.319 They aren't picky if it's just for the night. 00:20:44.500 --> 00:20:46.619 Now, here's something I found contradictory in 00:20:46.619 --> 00:20:50.079 the notes. Are they attractive? Because we always 00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:53.079 hear about the bad boy appeal. It's complex. 00:20:54.039 --> 00:20:56.640 Narcissists, yes, they are often perceived as 00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:59.380 hot or attractive. Why? Are they just born better 00:20:59.380 --> 00:21:02.000 looking? Likely because they put a tremendous 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:04.099 amount of effort into it. They care about their 00:21:04.099 --> 00:21:06.420 appearance. They groom. They dress well. They 00:21:06.420 --> 00:21:08.720 go to the gym. It's part of the grandiosity. 00:21:08.940 --> 00:21:11.019 They are their own best product. But what about 00:21:11.019 --> 00:21:13.759 the Machiavellians? This is fascinating. They 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:16.539 are often rated as the least attractive to the 00:21:16.539 --> 00:21:19.799 opposite sex. Really? Why is that? Yes. It turns 00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:23.720 out visible cynicism isn't sexy. That cold, calculating 00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:26.240 vibe is often a turnoff on a subconscious level. 00:21:26.579 --> 00:21:29.220 And facial features associated with dark triad 00:21:29.220 --> 00:21:31.299 traits in general, aside from the narcissist's 00:21:31.299 --> 00:21:34.160 grooming, are often rated less attractive. So 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:35.960 the narcissist draws you in with the polished 00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:38.700 looks, but the Machiavellian might repel you 00:21:38.700 --> 00:21:41.420 on a primal level. That seems to be the case. 00:21:41.500 --> 00:21:43.680 Your gut knows something is off, even if you 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:45.519 can't put your finger on it. Let's look at who 00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:48.900 these people are. Demographics. Are men really 00:21:48.900 --> 00:21:52.490 darker than women? The stereotype is there. The 00:21:52.490 --> 00:21:54.829 findings are very consistent across cultures. 00:21:55.470 --> 00:21:58.250 Men tend to score higher than women on narcissism, 00:21:58.309 --> 00:22:01.690 Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. This is known 00:22:01.690 --> 00:22:04.369 as the dirty dozen data from the name of one 00:22:04.369 --> 00:22:07.069 of the popular scales. Is that gap closing at 00:22:07.069 --> 00:22:10.549 all? It might be for narcissism. Some data suggests 00:22:10.549 --> 00:22:13.089 women's scores have been rising over time, shrinking 00:22:13.089 --> 00:22:15.930 that gender gap. But generally, men still hold 00:22:15.930 --> 00:22:18.569 the lead, especially in psychopathy. The difference 00:22:18.569 --> 00:22:20.930 is most pronounced there. And what about their 00:22:20.930 --> 00:22:24.170 worldviews, ideology, and politics? This seems 00:22:24.170 --> 00:22:26.319 like a minefield. This is where we have to be 00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:28.680 careful and just report what the data shows. 00:22:28.859 --> 00:22:30.880 But it's interesting. These traits correlate 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:33.440 with support for extremist ideologies. We side, 00:22:33.660 --> 00:22:36.059 left or right. That's the thing. It can be both. 00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:38.579 It correlates with support for the alt -right 00:22:38.579 --> 00:22:41.039 and right supremacist groups, but other studies 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:43.220 show it also correlates with what's called politically 00:22:43.220 --> 00:22:46.299 correct authoritarianism. So it's not about the 00:22:46.299 --> 00:22:49.079 specific policy. It's about the control, the 00:22:49.079 --> 00:22:52.380 authoritarian impulse. Precisely. It correlates 00:22:52.380 --> 00:22:55.400 with a social dominance orientation, the desire 00:22:55.400 --> 00:22:58.339 for one's group to be supreme. Whether that group 00:22:58.339 --> 00:23:01.440 is defined by race, nationality, or certain political 00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:04.299 correctness, the underlying drive for dominance 00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:07.279 and group -based supremacy is the link. They 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:09.099 want to be on top of the hierarchy regardless 00:23:09.099 --> 00:23:11.259 of what the hierarchy is. And they also link 00:23:11.259 --> 00:23:14.079 to prejudice. Yes. Anti -immigrant prejudice 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:16.859 and hostility toward outgroups are positively 00:23:16.859 --> 00:23:20.039 correlated with the dark triad. It's an us versus 00:23:20.039 --> 00:23:22.319 them mentality and they want to be on the winning 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:24.559 side. Now I want to touch on race and generation 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:26.500 because there is some controversy here. There 00:23:26.500 --> 00:23:29.609 is. Regarding race, the data is very sparse and 00:23:29.609 --> 00:23:32.549 often mixed. Some studies show Caucasians scoring 00:23:32.549 --> 00:23:35.490 higher on narcissism or Machiavellianism, but 00:23:35.490 --> 00:23:37.670 others show no difference at all in psychopathy 00:23:37.670 --> 00:23:40.109 between groups. It's not a clear picture. And 00:23:40.109 --> 00:23:42.369 we have to mention a specific researcher, Richard 00:23:42.369 --> 00:23:45.049 Lin, whose work in this area has been debunked. 00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:47.839 Yes, it is very important to address that. Lin 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:49.819 published research claiming racial differences 00:23:49.819 --> 00:23:52.519 in psychopathy, but it was widely criticized 00:23:52.519 --> 00:23:55.920 and debunked for serious conceptual errors. He 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:58.279 confused antisocial behavior with personality 00:23:58.279 --> 00:24:01.660 traits and completely ignored critical socioeconomic 00:24:01.660 --> 00:24:04.660 factors. It's considered fringe science and is 00:24:04.660 --> 00:24:07.400 unreliable. We need to be very skeptical of data 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:09.480 that tries to racialize these traits without 00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:12.059 accounting for environment. Good to know. And 00:24:12.059 --> 00:24:15.000 what about Generation Me? Are kids these days 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:17.079 more narcissistic? Yeah. Or do we just think 00:24:17.079 --> 00:24:18.779 they are because they have Instagram? That is 00:24:18.779 --> 00:24:21.599 a huge debate. Gene Twenge's analysis of college 00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:25.619 students from 1979 to 2006 suggested a significant 00:24:25.619 --> 00:24:27.859 increase in narcissism. The selfie generation 00:24:27.859 --> 00:24:30.440 narrative. That's the narrative. But other researchers 00:24:30.440 --> 00:24:33.079 push back hard. They argue the cohort changes 00:24:33.079 --> 00:24:35.420 are minimal or that what we are seeing is actually 00:24:35.420 --> 00:24:37.880 just an increase in cynicism, which might look 00:24:37.880 --> 00:24:40.000 like narcissism but isn't the same thing. So 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:42.079 the jury is still out on whether we are actually 00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:44.309 becoming more self -absorbed. as a species or 00:24:44.309 --> 00:24:46.430 if we were just documenting our lives more publicly. 00:24:46.750 --> 00:24:49.309 We spent a lot of time in the dark. I feel like 00:24:49.309 --> 00:24:51.829 I need a shower. Is there any hope? Is there 00:24:51.829 --> 00:24:55.069 a flip side to this? An antidote? There is. And 00:24:55.069 --> 00:24:57.410 thank goodness for that. Enter the light triad. 00:24:57.490 --> 00:24:59.529 The light triad. Tell me everything. Who came 00:24:59.529 --> 00:25:02.349 up with this? Scott Barry Kaufman and his colleagues. 00:25:02.710 --> 00:25:04.970 They wanted to see if there was a profile for 00:25:04.970 --> 00:25:08.009 the everyday saint to counter the everyday villain. 00:25:08.170 --> 00:25:10.470 They felt psychology was too focused on the dark 00:25:10.470 --> 00:25:12.859 side. I agree. So what are the three components 00:25:12.859 --> 00:25:15.900 of the light triad? First, humanism. This is 00:25:15.900 --> 00:25:18.619 about valuing the dignity and worth of every 00:25:18.619 --> 00:25:22.039 individual. Okay. Makes sense. Second, Kantianism. 00:25:22.180 --> 00:25:24.759 Named after the philosopher Immanuel Kant. Exactly. 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:28.000 This is the direct opposite of Machiavellianism. 00:25:28.019 --> 00:25:30.200 It means treating people as ends unto themselves, 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:33.579 never as a mere means to an end. You help someone 00:25:33.579 --> 00:25:35.940 because they are a person, not because they can 00:25:35.940 --> 00:25:38.460 do something for you later. I like that. And 00:25:38.460 --> 00:25:41.569 the third? Faith in humanity. Which is just what 00:25:41.569 --> 00:25:43.609 it sounds like. Believing that people are fundamentally 00:25:43.609 --> 00:25:46.890 good. That sounds lovely. But be honest. Are 00:25:46.890 --> 00:25:50.029 most people dark or light? Where does the average 00:25:50.029 --> 00:25:52.329 person fall? That is the best news of the entire 00:25:52.329 --> 00:25:55.349 deep dive. The average person actually leans 00:25:55.349 --> 00:25:57.250 toward the light triad. We aren't all villains. 00:25:57.369 --> 00:26:00.150 Most people are fundamentally pretty good. Phew. 00:26:01.089 --> 00:26:03.410 That restored my faith in humanity a little bit. 00:26:03.490 --> 00:26:06.029 It should. High scores on the light triad linked 00:26:06.029 --> 00:26:08.470 to life satisfaction, empathy, secure attachment 00:26:08.470 --> 00:26:12.569 styles and relationships, and a quiet ego. Quiet 00:26:12.569 --> 00:26:15.130 ego. I like that phrase. But is there a catch? 00:26:15.309 --> 00:26:17.630 Is there a downside? Do the nice guys finish 00:26:17.630 --> 00:26:20.839 last? There is a tradeoff. It appears so. Light 00:26:20.839 --> 00:26:23.759 triad scorers tend to have less achievement motive. 00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:26.599 They're less assertive. So the dark triad guy 00:26:26.599 --> 00:26:29.079 is aggressively pushing for the promotion at 00:26:29.079 --> 00:26:32.440 all costs. And the light triad guy is happy just 00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:34.440 doing a good job and collaborating with the team. 00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:36.700 Potentially. The lack of assertiveness might 00:26:36.700 --> 00:26:38.799 make it harder for light triad individuals to 00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:40.700 reach certain challenging goals, even if they 00:26:40.700 --> 00:26:43.019 are highly competent. The dark triad has that 00:26:43.019 --> 00:26:45.460 killer instinct that can propel them forward, 00:26:45.619 --> 00:26:47.440 at least in the short term. So what does this 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:49.660 all mean? We've looked at the narcissist, the 00:26:49.660 --> 00:26:52.220 schemer, the psychopath, and even the sadist. 00:26:52.380 --> 00:26:54.680 We've seen how they operate in offices and relationships. 00:26:55.240 --> 00:26:58.009 What's the so what here? I think the big takeaway 00:26:58.009 --> 00:27:00.710 is understanding the complex, sometimes contradictory 00:27:00.710 --> 00:27:03.849 nature of human personality. These aren't monsters 00:27:03.849 --> 00:27:05.829 under the bed. They are dimensions we all have 00:27:05.829 --> 00:27:07.930 to some degree. We all have a little bit of the 00:27:07.930 --> 00:27:10.490 dark triad in us. We might. We all have moments 00:27:10.490 --> 00:27:12.869 of self -interest or moments where we lack empathy. 00:27:13.130 --> 00:27:15.890 But the dark triad as a concept helps us understand 00:27:15.890 --> 00:27:19.750 how bad traits can lead to successful outcomes 00:27:19.750 --> 00:27:22.430 in certain contexts and why they persist in our 00:27:22.430 --> 00:27:24.609 gene pool. It's about survival strategies, not 00:27:24.609 --> 00:27:26.779 just morality. Exactly. Different strategies 00:27:26.779 --> 00:27:29.339 for different environments. So here's my final 00:27:29.339 --> 00:27:32.259 thought for you listening. Is the concept of 00:27:32.259 --> 00:27:36.059 the dark triad too simple? Maybe. Does it glorify 00:27:36.059 --> 00:27:38.759 these traits? Maybe. But look around your office 00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:41.420 tomorrow. Look at your social circle. Can you 00:27:41.420 --> 00:27:43.220 spot the difference between a high achiever who 00:27:43.220 --> 00:27:46.259 is just driven and a high mock who is moving 00:27:46.259 --> 00:27:48.759 chess pieces around you? And ask yourself this. 00:27:49.039 --> 00:27:52.059 Which strategy... actually wins the long game, 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:55.160 the fast, explosive, but often self -destructive 00:27:55.160 --> 00:27:58.000 success of the dark triad, or the slow, steady, 00:27:58.160 --> 00:28:00.480 collaborative build of the light? That is the 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:02.400 question. Thanks for diving deep with us. A pleasure. 00:28:02.519 --> 00:28:02.839 Anytime.