UNAIR NEWS – People have different personalities. There are also dark personalities that can trigger a toxic relationship.

Margaretha SPsi P G Dip Psych MSc said that dark personalities can be found in everyone. “This dark personality can exist in any normal person, not just people with mental disorders or criminals,” she said. This dark human personality even exists in students and someone who is successful in society.

Someone with this dark personality will justify any means to achieve their goals. “In order to achieve their personal goals, they want to hurt or harm others,” said the lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology (FPsi), Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR).

Four dark human personalities

Margaretha revealed that there are four dark human personalities. The first is Machiavellian. People with this character show a cold, cynical attitude, immoral, and with high self-interest orientation. Someone with this character will appear as someone cunning, power-hungry, and good at manipulating things. “For example, to gain power or money, they will engage in fraud or exploitation,” she explained.

Second, narcissism. This person considers their position higher than others. They often look down on others, have high self-esteem, and tend to be arrogant. “Narcissists often have an exaggerated view of their abilities, feel that many people admire them, exaggerate their accomplishments, and tend to be arrogant, rude, and generally unpleasant,” she continued.

Third, psychopaths. People with psychopathic traits do not care about other people or social norms. They often appear very professional and charismatic. But they are emotionally shallow and focused only on personal goals.

It makes it difficult for them to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. “Psychopaths often adopt a parasitic lifestyle to satisfy their needs. This character can appear in a person who believes they are socially competent. For example, having the social skills to avoid other people’s anger,” she explained.

Fourth, sadism. Individuals with this character will commit atrocities with passion. Hurting others is a fun, interesting experience for him, and may even increase his sexual attraction. “Instead of alleviating the suffering of others, sadists will look for ways to prolong the suffering,” she said.

Margaretha urged people to be vigilant in their interactions with others. She hoped that people could understand the dark nature of humans. She does not rule out the possibility that this dark personality could occur self. “This dark personality can happen to anyone, even ordinary people. I hope that we can understand this so that we can deal with and healthily manage our personality,” she concluded.

Author: Icha Nur Imami Puspita

Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia