Dr. Leanne ten Brinke, a leading psychologist, reveals how to identify and manage 'dark personalities' like psychopaths and narcissists, who are surprisingly common in everyday life, from your workplace to your romantic relationships. Learn practical strategies to protect yourself and even improve your own traits.
Dr. Leanne ten Brinke's career was profoundly influenced by an early encounter with a probable psychopath, shifting her focus from convicted criminals to studying 'dark personalities'—psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and sadism—which she observed are prevalent across all aspects of life, not just in the 'underworld.' She explains that these traits exist on a continuum, with an estimated 1% of the general population having clinical levels of psychopathy and up to 18% exhibiting 'elevated' levels. These individuals are often charismatic and confident, leading to their over-representation in senior management and leadership roles, where their confidence is often mistaken for competence, despite research suggesting it leads to decreased returns. Ten Brinke attributes our susceptibility to a 'truth bias' and a 'dark spiral' where we seek 'strong' leaders in times of uncertainty, who may then create more chaos. The article provides actionable advice on recognizing dark personalities: watch for frequent interruptions, boundary-pushing, 'love bombing' in relationships, constant self-promotion, impulsivity, and a lack of empathy or pleasure in others' pain. She advises focusing on verbal inconsistencies rather than unreliable body language to detect deception. For managing interactions, Ten Brinke recommends setting clear boundaries, understanding their reward-motivated nature (and using rewards for positive behavior), finding common ground in difficult conversations, and framing requests as questions. She also emphasizes the importance of self-reflection, noting that personalities are not 'chiselled in stone' and that actively working on traits like agreeableness and compassion can reduce one's own dark tendencies, offering a hopeful message for personal and societal improvement.
