You must’ve heard about this term a couple of times if you are a fan of podcasts and motivational speakers. Even if you haven’t heard about it, you should know about it. This is because people with the dark triad traits tend to be manipulative, lack empathy, and feel entitled, and these traits are enough to be consequential to you (often making you feel the need of treatments like psychotherapy). Which is why it is paramount for you to understand the characteristics of a dark triad personality, so you can spot one and take necessary precautions. Let’s discuss it in the words below:
What are the Dark Triad Personality Traits?
Coined by researchers Delroy Paulhus, PhD, and Kevin Williams, PhD, in 2002, they stumbled upon the triad that includes three malevolent personality traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy while studying the adverse yet non-pathological personality traits (Bakraj et al., 2025).
All three of the dark triad personality traits have overlapping symptoms and can be used to gain your trust and then exploit it for personal gain. Here’s how you can answer the question of what dark triad traits are and how deadly they are:
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Narcissism
Commonly characterized by the pursuit of ego gratification, overblown vanity
a sense of superiority, grandiosity, dominance, and entitlement, but in actuality, a sense of inadequacy typically lies beneath this grandiosity.
Psychopathy
Distinguished by their callousness, impulsivity, enduring antisocial behavior, and a lack of empathy or remorse, psychopaths also tend to be emotionally cold and prone to taking big risks.
Machiavellism
Marked by manipulation, and a calculating, duplicitous, and amoral personality that is focused on self-interest and personal gain, people with a Machiavellian spirit are willing to deceive others to get what they want, and have a cynical view of the world.
Although dark triad is not an official diagnosis in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition” (DSM-5) (Bakraj et al., 2025) like disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia tend to be, it is essentially closely related to the antisocial personality disorder (sociopathy), and psychopathic personality (individually) whose symptoms are similar to dark triad but with some shining examples of differences such as the latter being typically long-lasting, having an onset during childhood, and both of them follow a pattern (Antisocial Personality Disorder: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, n.d.).
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Recognizing A Dark Triad Personality
For starters, these people tend to be charming, easy-going (you will never see them feel things like anxiety), and extremely charismatic. One of the greatest dark triad personality examples is Ted Bundy. He was not your typical serial killer, as he was able to get away with killing so many women in such a short period of time because of his possession of the dark triad personality. This tells how dangerous a dark triad possessor can be, and precisely is the reason it should be spotted in our midst. These can also come in romantic partners who love bomb you and when the facade is finally down, they will show you true colors (post-marriage therapy or couples therapy, as to make them understand that treating you right can be the only they can stay in your life, can help with the negative aspects).
Paul Hokemeyer, JD, PhD, a marriage and family therapist based in Colorado, told Health.com (Booth, 2025), “[People with dark triad traits are] masters at flattery and making a person feel like they’re special and fortunate to be in the presence of a person of elevated taste, intelligence, and compassion,”. And this is exactly the type of thing that one should avoid, as these people with a dark triad will eventually burn the relationship you have with them as soon as the facade breaks down.
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What Causes Dark Triad?
As a 2014 research (Jonason et al., 2014) suggests, the main factors behind the birth of dark triad personality triads are childhood neglect, physical, verbal, or sexual abuse in childhood (which often leads to disorders such as PTSD and clinical depression for the rest of their lives), and genetic factors but the most prominent one and the key contributing factor tends to be consistently harsh or unstable parent-child relationships, which often lead to insecurities related to attachment and that in turn lead to dark triad personality traits such as psychopathy, machiavellianism and narcissism.
These situations of neglect lead children to behave in ways that scream that they are acting out. They either do this to seek attention or to engage in actions such as lying, cheating, and abusing others, which they consider to be soothing behavior. In the end, the thing is that all traits of the dark triad exist on a continuum and have overlapping symptoms, making it difficult to ascertain what is going on in the background as Gauri Khurana, MD, MPH, on the website PsychCentral mentions in her own words.
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How Do They Display Their Dark Triad Personality Traits?
Individuals with the dark triad tend to display aggression out of self-interest and will also act extremely emotionless. This is why Machiavellianism and psychopathy are correlated, but when it comes to narcissistic behavior, whose symptoms tend to be on the more defensive and fragile side. All in all, they (with all three traits combined) may display symptoms like the ones mentioned below (Benton, 2022):
- an unhealthy fascination with themselves
- a lack of empathy and respect for others
- a preoccupation with obtaining power by any means
- manipulation and lying
- stealing and potentially criminal behavior
- violence or explosive anger
- violating social norms, especially around empathy
- a lack of remorse for any harm caused
- arrogant behavior
- a need for praise and attention
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Wrapping Up!
This can keep you up at night, which often leads to problems such as insomnia, which is why prompt treatment is needed. If a person you know has these dark triad traits (or if you think you have them, then vice versa), either both of you are going to need treatment such as psychotherapy or alternative options such as telepsychiatry. We can help with that at Solid Foundation Psychiatry. All you have to do is book an appointment.