The Dark Triad, or dark personality, is a mixture of narcissism, machiavellianism and psychopathy. What is hidden behind this shady character?

The Dark Triad is a psychological construct that identifies some personality traits not necessarily pathological, deriving from the mixture of narcissism, machiavellianism and psychopathy. These people have characteristics that do not perfectly reflect one of the three categories mentioned but share some aspects that, instead of making them pleasant and unpleasant, are highly attractive and successful.

The three components that make up the dark personality have characteristics that are partly super imposable, but distinct in themselves, which mix to form a unique and different personality from the three that generate it.

By we mean a tendency towards grandeur, a continuous search for admiration and approval, a sense of superiority and a feeling of being special with an effort to accept criticism, which leads to seeking situations and people who give flattery and recognition.

instead indicates manipulative skills, high rationality and planning to the smallest detail of the moves to the point of justifying even the least adequate means, poor morality and exploitation of others and situations for one's own advantage.

Finally, is characterized by the absence of empathy, the scarce presence of remorse, the sense of guilt and anxiety with respect to the consequences of one's sometimes aggressive and unfair action, disinterest in many areas of one's own action and difficulty in expressing feelings and emotions, resulting insensitive.

The three characteristic aspects of the dark personality lead to assume significant characteristics in terms of personality and behavior. Specifically, the person with Dark Triad tends to be manipulative to the point of exploiting the other for his or her own advantage, with a detached and cold attitude towards the consequences generated and a constant thought of grandeur and right, which animate his / her actions.

In the emotional sphere, he seeks strong sensations in different areas, up to performing extreme and dangerous acts for himself or others, without concern, guilt or moral sense. He has an excessive care of himself and his physical appearance, with attention to detail and not caring for external criticisms that are perceived as a manifestation of others' incapacity and ignorance, with consequent closure of relationships animated by these circumstances.

However, they are often attractive and intelligent enough to plan their behavior rationally and punctually.