The Dark Side of Moral Superiority: What Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Sadists Think About Themselves

In a world where moral values are often held in high esteem, it might surprise one that people with darker personalities like narcissists, psychopaths, Machiavellians or sadists often believe they are morally above everyone else. Recent research published in the journal Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, however, shows that despite their tendencies towards harmful behavior these individuals usually see themselves as being more morally upright.

Understanding the Dark Tetrad

These four traits commonly referred to us the “Dark Tetrad,” entail practices that tend to put an individual’s self-interest ahead of others’ welfare. Narcissists have an inflated sense of their own importance; Machiavellians manipulate and use social situations strategically; psychopaths lack empathy whilst displaying impulsive behavior; and sadists enjoy making others suffer.

Given that these characteristics often result in behaviors that may be perceived as immoral by many people, it is logical to assume that individuals manifesting them would recognize their moral flaws. However the study sought to find out whether or not the dark traited individuals actually thought themselves worse morally or if they believed they were better than what they truly were.

The Study: Self-Perception vs. Reality

The researchers gathered 515 participants who completed questionnaires measuring their Dark Tetrad levels as well as how they see their morality internally. While evaluating themselves on various moral and immoral personality traits such as honesty, kindness, selfishness and cruelty, participants were requested to rank themselves on diverse aspects of morality. These self-assessments were then compared by the researchers for instance if participants think they are more moral than other members do.

Interestingly enough, even those who had high levels of Dark Tetrad traits generally saw themselves as more moral than most other people did. The better-than-average effect; was stronger among narcissists and Machiavellians who gave higher ratings to moral traits despite their manipulative and self-interested tendencies.

The Surprising Results

However, the study established that individuals with psychopathic or sadistic traits also tended to regard themselves as morally better than others, although to a slightly lesser degree than narcissists and Machiavellians.

This difference between how one perceives oneself and what is real is intriguing. This seems to imply that people with Dark Tetrad traits are not only engaged in harmful behaviors but they also rationalize them by justifying that these actions are actually morally right. For instance, if these individuals already think of themselves as being morally superior now why would they want to change?

The Impact of Low Expectations

Another interesting finding from the study was that those possessing Dark Tetrad characteristics typically had low opinions about other people’s morality. Often seeing an average person as having a mix of good and bad traits can help them justify their own supposed moral superiority. By setting the standards so low for others it made it easy for them to rank above others thus reinforcing their faith in their own moral goodness.

Future implications

Besides making a discovery about the self-perceptions of people who have Dark Tetrad traits, this study presents questions that need to be addressed in the future. Therefore, would such efforts counteract these delusions of moral superiority and thus enhance self-awareness resulting behavioral change?

Understanding this dynamic might help those in relationship or workplace situations with individuals showing off this type of behavior to manage their interactions better.

The researchers propose that by increasing the self-awareness of dark tetrad trait holders, it may be possible to curb their harmful behaviors. Should these same people come face-to-face with what they really are like, they could possibly become more pliable—changes that will not only advantage them but also society at large.

Conclusion

It is hoped that such findings may form the basis for better ways of helping individuals who possess Dark Tetrad traits to gain insight on how their actions affect others and therefore motivate them toward positive change. Consequently, as research goes on, it is expected that these results may provide a foundation for better intervention strategies aimed at those suffering from dark personality disorder.

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