Caution! How to Recognize a Dark Tetrad Personality!
Everyone knows people in their lives who have done bad things. Perhaps you have witnessed someone being the victim of manipulation or you yourself have been treated badly by someone. For sure you also know a person who acts selfishly and ignores the wishes and needs of others. But there are also people who explicitly take pleasure in the suffering and unhappiness of others. These are all unfortunate and toxic behaviors that hurt others. However, these shocking tendencies are unfortunately not isolated cases, but point to dark personality traits. Over the years, psychologists have noticed patterns and have narrowed these human tendencies into four categories known as the dark tetrad. In this context, the dark tetrad is an evolution of the dark triad. In this article, we introduce you to seven signs of the dark tetrad.
Let's first clarify: What is the dark tetrad?
The dark tetrad is an evolution of the dark triad - narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. To this list is now added sadism. This concept was coined by Canadian psychologists Delroy Paulhus and Kevin Williams of the University of British Columbia in 2002. These four traits are believed to serve as the core of the dark side of humanity. Each trait is thought to be interconnected, meaning that someone who displays one side of the tetrad is likely to display others. Together, they form a destructive and exploitative personality. Each of the four traits differs in their respective motivations. Narcissism is driven by egocentrism, ruthlessness, arrogance, self-importance and a strong need for admiration, psychopathy by lack of empathy and regard for ethics - this is about the act itself. Machiavellianism is all about exploiting manipulability, indifference to morality, entitlement feelings, with goal attainment as the main focus. Sadism is about the desire to hurt others mentally, emotionally and/or physically. Now let's move on to the signs that are characteristic of the dark tetrad.
1. They are unethical
If a person has little regard for others, puts themselves first in every situation, and uses people for their own gain, it is also likely that they do not care much about right and wrong behaviors. This person may lack a conscience, allowing them to manipulate, hurt, and badmouth others without shame. They simply don't care if and how much they hurt others. All that matters to them is what they gain from the situation.
2. They are trying to make you angry.
When a person is uncomfortable with how the dark tetrad behaves, they may resort to nasty tactics to get one over on that person. They are willing to do anything to harm the other person for revenge. Their selfishness, entitlement, and lack of ethics mean that they don't even feel guilt in the process.
3. They take pleasure in causing pain to others.
A sadistic person finds pleasure at the expense of others. Sadistic people can be physically, verbally, or emotionally assaultive in direct or indirect ways. In a sense, they resemble manipulative people in some characteristics. But sadism differs in the sense that for the actor the cruel act is intrinsically fascinating. Manipulation hurts others, the pain inflicted is a byproduct for the manipulator to get what he wants. In sadism, suffering is the reward. People with this trait enjoy hurting others just to hurt them.
4. They think their behavior is justified.
When they harm others, individuals with the dark tetrad do not care, in fact, they feel that their actions are justified. Because of their selfish nature and lack of empathy, they think it is okay to use others for their own benefit and abuse their kindness. They cannot take responsibility or feel remorse for their actions because deep down they feel they are in the right.
5. They exhibit extremely selfish behaviors.
A person who has a high tendency towards narcissism always puts their own interest before others. They do not take into account how others feel. Narcissists will take anything that they believe will benefit them first, whether it is fame, prestige, or wealth, they only want it for themselves and not to share it with anyone else.
6. They are manipulative
Manipulative people use others as a means to an end, they don't care what the other person desires or feels, they just want the end result. They tend to act more calculated than others and show no remorse for their actions. To get to their goal, they may resort to actions that are extremely psychologically, emotionally, or physically stressful to others. As long as they achieve the desired result, almost any means will do. They have a talent for manipulating others so skillfully that those affected do not notice for a long time.
7. They lack empathy
Lack of empathy is a big factor in the tetrad. People with this personality tend to pay little attention to the feelings of others. They don't really care about what another person is feeling and aren't shy about taking advantage of them. The combination of low empathy and self-centeredness makes them feel that the rest of the world doesn't matter. Their selfish behavior means they always put their own feelings before others, regardless of the situation.
Today’s Conclusion:
The dark tetrad is scary for everyone involved. People with these characteristics may not be aware that they are different or may even be proud of their behavior. In any case, people who behave this way create a stressful and toxic environment for those around them. Those who notice this should definitely get out of these toxic situations, because these people will refuse to accept help and will stand by their behavior. This results in a perpetual cycle, which in turn only harms others. For personnel hiring, there is now the Top test procedure, which was developed by the University of Hohenheim to identify destructive applicants as early as the application process, as these people can cause considerable damage in companies. What do you personally think about the dark tetrad? Have you ever experienced someone like this in your own life? Feel free to share your experiences with us in the comments. That's it for today.