Shadows of the Dark Triad

The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil. Hannah Arendt

When an individual engages in an unspeakable act of malevolence towards others, typically in the form of mass violence, the first question is “why” and the first answer is “they are evil.” But while “evil” may be an accurate descriptor, it is not a satisfying explanation as it is vague. It may convey an inaccuracy: that those who commit evil acts are readily identifiable, wearing a scarlet letter of sorts emblazoned upon their foreheads.

The truth is that human malevolence isn’t frequently apparent in the form of a readily identifiable monster.

How is this possible?

Many decades ago, political scientist and writer, Hannah Arendt, observed this when she wrote about the ordinariness of evil or the banality of it while covering the trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem. Eichmann systematically implemented Hitler’s horrific “final solution” to the “Jewish Question” which was extermination. There is no doubt as to the evil of his acts; but, Eichmann appeared anything but monstrous. In fact, in aspect and communication he seemed more like what he once was, a former vacuum oil salesman.

Still, aren’t there psychopaths in this world with clear identifiable traits?

According to Paulus and Williams, those who promote the most potent form of extreme cruelty possess the traits of what they call the “Dark Triad.” The dark triad consists of three malignant points at their pinnacle: Machiavellianism (duplicity and immorality), Narcissism (extreme entitlement and bloated ego), and Psychopathy (callousness and lack of empathy). History is replete with such individuals, as in the mid-20th century trio of malevolence: Stalin, Hitler, and Mussolini.

Arendt was struck by the “normality” of Eichmann whose unspeakable horrendous acts would clearly place him in the realm of a monster. Yet, for all appearances, he was a very ordinary, “normal” man who did the abnormal. There appears to be an uptick, if not a statistically accurate certainty, that occupies our mass psychology—perpetrators of mass violence who terrorize us more and more are not the dictators, but the garden variety people who live among us.

How can this be?

It may be related to an observation by Muris and colleagues about the dark triad. They point out that while extreme cruelty is rare, lying, cheating, bullying, and domineering over others are not. The monster who commits mass violence may begin as “evil-lite:” harboring a festering grievance or grudge-holding. This results in passive aggressive acts, or overt anger, or taking advantage of others, or interpersonal intimidation, or verbal aggression, or any combination of these. This evil-lite (what we call the “shadows” of the dark triad or the dusky cast of the malignant points) may deepen until it morphs into rage that permits the justification of harming others.

Evil-lite may be why the friends, family, and neighbors of the mass assailant when questioned about the aggressor, often respond with disbelief, dismay, and confusion. However, a deeper examination may reveal an interpersonal pattern of duplicity, entitlement, and callousness—the dark triad’s shadow. It is the dusky areas of evil-lite that we should be concerned about. We may need to acknowledge this when there is growing societal norms for or even admiration of lying, cheating, and bullying as being permissible (e.g., politics, business, or financial tactics). When we normalize the disrespect of others, we allow for an atmosphere of evil-lite to grow undetected. When we value sincerity, humility, and empathy, it may have less chance to grow.