Introduction
'Nice guys always lose' A common quote typed out on a crusty iPhone 4 after a boy just got rejected by his first girl. In his desperate attempts to make her like him he pulled out every trick in the book; Compliments, Buying her things, Always respecting her and being a borderline suck up. 'Maybe she's just not ready for a relationship?' He thought to himself, except later that same week he would see her going crazy for a washed up narcissistic drug dealer who has zero future 'Why him?' he thought, so the boy goes home to research this. The results come up the same, nothing; Until he stumbles across the Dark Triad.
What is the Dark Triad?
Best outlined by the image here, the Dark Triad consists of three main points; Narcissism: 'selfishness, involving a sense of entitlement, a lack of empathy, and a need for admiration, as characterizing a personality type', Psychopathy: 'Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality is a personality construct characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited and egocentric traits, masked by superficial charm and the outward appearance of apparent normalcy' and Machiavellianism: Someone with a Machiavellian personality may display the following traits:5. Focusing only on their own goals and interests. Prioritizing success, power, money, and fame above all else. Manipulating or exploiting others for their own gain. These three traits are building blocks for someone who posses the Dark Triad.
Why do women find the Dark Triad attractive?
When surveyed 128 female students from a British university expressed in almost unison that men who posses high DT traits were more; Assertive, Confident, Dominant and Charming. (These results are unsurprising, through thousands of years of evolution have helped develop subconscious behaviours, one of which is to be drawn to people who are easily able to project masculine traits almost like a magnet. We subconsciously have a high level of respect towards these people whether we like it or not.) All of these traits helped ultimately boost the masculine attractiveness of men who posses these traits. Studies have also shown that men who posses DT traits have been more successful in finding a mate for the bedroom, likely due to their increased ability to project their confidence and assertiveness onto others. The features of which the DT allows men to project can be seen as extremely masculine and the perfect contrast to the submissive nature of femininity.
Understanding the Dark Triad.
As much as the Dark Triad can BOOST the overall attractiveness of a male, one must first be conventionally attractive. The image below depicts how different characteristics relating to the Dark Triad can be seen based on the persons physical appearance.
Despite the fact that they are both displaying the same behavior many will see the man on the right as a 'red flag' and the other as a 'green flag' looks do play a key factor in how people see the elements of your personality. 'Looks ARE everything'
Facial features relating to the Dark Triad.
'His face was pure evil' The words of one of Richard Ramirez's survivors when interviewed by Netflix. Despite the fact that the Dark Triad is a Phycological endeavor many studies have shown that their are some facial features which can relate to the Dark Triad. The study I am presenting below took a group of around 200 participants and made them take a personality quiz which was used to detect Dark Triad traits. From this the bottom ten and top ten from each trait had their faces photographed and combined to create this image displayed below.
After this image had been created and was shown to a group of observers (64% of which were female) In order to determine what face appeared the most sinister. Once the test had been concluded the results indicated that the answers were not random with the majority agreeing upon the same few sets of faces. The test concluded that personality is first judged by the appearance of the person. 'Personality is all that matters, stop coping'
Embracing the Dark Triad.
Before starting your journey down the twisted path of the Dark Triad, one must first understand the requirements. As the study above showed, despite the fact that the Dark Triad is entirely a phycological issue facial features do play a key part in the Dark Triad. Some of these features can be altered however most are just genetic
What is the Dark Triad?
Best outlined by the image here, the Dark Triad consists of three main points; Narcissism: 'selfishness, involving a sense of entitlement, a lack of empathy, and a need for admiration, as characterizing a personality type', Psychopathy: 'Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality is a personality construct characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited and egocentric traits, masked by superficial charm and the outward appearance of apparent normalcy' and Machiavellianism: Someone with a Machiavellian personality may display the following traits:5. Focusing only on their own goals and interests. Prioritizing success, power, money, and fame above all else. Manipulating or exploiting others for their own gain. These three traits are building blocks for someone who posses the Dark Triad.
Why do women find the Dark Triad attractive?
When surveyed 128 female students from a British university expressed in almost unison that men who posses high DT traits were more; Assertive, Confident, Dominant and Charming. (These results are unsurprising, through thousands of years of evolution have helped develop subconscious behaviours, one of which is to be drawn to people who are easily able to project masculine traits almost like a magnet. We subconsciously have a high level of respect towards these people whether we like it or not.) All of these traits helped ultimately boost the masculine attractiveness of men who posses these traits. Studies have also shown that men who posses DT traits have been more successful in finding a mate for the bedroom, likely due to their increased ability to project their confidence and assertiveness onto others. The features of which the DT allows men to project can be seen as extremely masculine and the perfect contrast to the submissive nature of femininity.
Understanding the Dark Triad.
As much as the Dark Triad can BOOST the overall attractiveness of a male, one must first be conventionally attractive. The image below depicts how different characteristics relating to the Dark Triad can be seen based on the persons physical appearance.
Despite the fact that they are both displaying the same behavior many will see the man on the right as a 'red flag' and the other as a 'green flag' looks do play a key factor in how people see the elements of your personality. 'Looks ARE everything'
Facial features relating to the Dark Triad.
'His face was pure evil' The words of one of Richard Ramirez's survivors when interviewed by Netflix. Despite the fact that the Dark Triad is a Phycological endeavor many studies have shown that their are some facial features which can relate to the Dark Triad. The study I am presenting below took a group of around 200 participants and made them take a personality quiz which was used to detect Dark Triad traits. From this the bottom ten and top ten from each trait had their faces photographed and combined to create this image displayed below.
After this image had been created and was shown to a group of observers (64% of which were female) In order to determine what face appeared the most sinister. Once the test had been concluded the results indicated that the answers were not random with the majority agreeing upon the same few sets of faces. The test concluded that personality is first judged by the appearance of the person. 'Personality is all that matters, stop coping'
Embracing the Dark Triad.
Before starting your journey down the twisted path of the Dark Triad, one must first understand the requirements. As the study above showed, despite the fact that the Dark Triad is entirely a phycological issue facial features do play a key part in the Dark Triad. Some of these features can be altered however most are just genetic
- Hunter Eyes (The aggressive appearance of this set of eyes can positively fuel someone who posses DT Traits)
- Short Wide Mid faces (People with higher test typically have these, test can also be linked to increasingly higher Dark Triad Traits)
- Defined Cheekbones
- Sharp Jawlines
- Darker coloured eyes (E.g Brown, Black, Dark green, and Grey)
- Dark hair colours (Brown and Black)
- Thicker eyebrows
- Hollow cheeks
- Low set eyebrows
If you don't have any of these features (especially the dark hair) then it would be best to try the Light Triad
Controversies and Criticisms.
As much as the thread above promotes the Dark Triad there are many aspects of it which can lead to negative consequences not just for you but for the people around you. The biggest concern is the glorifying of these mental disorders, portraying them in a way which shades the negatives from the light leading impressionable young men astray, causing them to develop selfish traits which can impact those around them. Some can argue that the research into the Dark Triad relies to heavily on self report measures, not accurately outlining the real world implementations of these behavior's. Furthermore the findings of different scientific papers are often inconsistent, leading one to judge the reliability and generalization of results. Finally, the behaviors exhibited by people who posses the traits of DT can lead to unhealthy and dysfunctional relationships, toxic dynamics, exploitation, and overall breaching of trust among partners.
In sum.
Looking into the Dark Triad and its impact on attractiveness reveals a fascinating but complex story. These traits—narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism—seem to give people an immediate edge. They exude confidence, assertiveness, and a magnetic charm that can be really appealing at first glance. It's like they know exactly what to say and how to act to get attention. But there's a darker side to all this allure. As much as these traits might boost someone's initial appeal, they can also lead to unhealthy dynamics and hurtful behaviors in relationships. The focus on personal gain and manipulation can strain trust and cause emotional damage over time. Critics rightly point out that the research on the Dark Triad isn't without its flaws. It often relies on self-reported behaviors, which may not capture the full complexity of how these traits play out in real-life situations. This raises questions about the reliability of findings and their applicability beyond controlled studies. While the Dark Triad traits might seem like a shortcut to attractiveness, they come with significant ethical and practical considerations. Emphasizing genuine kindness, respect, and empathy as foundational qualities in relationships offers a more sustainable path to meaningful connections and personal fulfillment. Understanding these nuances helps us navigate the complexities of human interaction with wisdom and integrity, avoiding the pitfalls of chasing superficial allure at the expense of deeper, more fulfilling relationships.
Controversies and Criticisms.
As much as the thread above promotes the Dark Triad there are many aspects of it which can lead to negative consequences not just for you but for the people around you. The biggest concern is the glorifying of these mental disorders, portraying them in a way which shades the negatives from the light leading impressionable young men astray, causing them to develop selfish traits which can impact those around them. Some can argue that the research into the Dark Triad relies to heavily on self report measures, not accurately outlining the real world implementations of these behavior's. Furthermore the findings of different scientific papers are often inconsistent, leading one to judge the reliability and generalization of results. Finally, the behaviors exhibited by people who posses the traits of DT can lead to unhealthy and dysfunctional relationships, toxic dynamics, exploitation, and overall breaching of trust among partners.
In sum.
Looking into the Dark Triad and its impact on attractiveness reveals a fascinating but complex story. These traits—narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism—seem to give people an immediate edge. They exude confidence, assertiveness, and a magnetic charm that can be really appealing at first glance. It's like they know exactly what to say and how to act to get attention. But there's a darker side to all this allure. As much as these traits might boost someone's initial appeal, they can also lead to unhealthy dynamics and hurtful behaviors in relationships. The focus on personal gain and manipulation can strain trust and cause emotional damage over time. Critics rightly point out that the research on the Dark Triad isn't without its flaws. It often relies on self-reported behaviors, which may not capture the full complexity of how these traits play out in real-life situations. This raises questions about the reliability of findings and their applicability beyond controlled studies. While the Dark Triad traits might seem like a shortcut to attractiveness, they come with significant ethical and practical considerations. Emphasizing genuine kindness, respect, and empathy as foundational qualities in relationships offers a more sustainable path to meaningful connections and personal fulfillment. Understanding these nuances helps us navigate the complexities of human interaction with wisdom and integrity, avoiding the pitfalls of chasing superficial allure at the expense of deeper, more fulfilling relationships.
