Black triad

[Brother]

Each person has character traits that can be considered negative and that hinder him and those around him. For example, it can be inconsistency, arrogance, despoticness. When it comes to teamwork, there are three traits that can undermine the performance of an entire organization. Psychologists call them the black triad.

What is the Black Triad?​

The Black Triad represents three related traits: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy.

• Narcissism: The term derives from the Greek myth of Narcissus, a hunter who fell in love with his own reflection and drowned. Narcissistic people are often selfish, boastful, arrogant, and hypersensitive to criticism. They are also unable to develop empathy.
• Machiavellianism: The word comes from the name of the Italian politician Niccolo Machiavelli. He gained notoriety after writing the book The Sovereign, and his name became a household name. Machiavelli was convinced that all means are good to consolidate a strong state - violence, murder, deception and betrayal. In psychology, this term is applied to manipulators.
• Psychopathy: Personality traits associated with psychopathy include a lack of empathy and remorse, antisocial behavior, manipulativeness, and volatility. It is worth distinguishing between a psychopath and a person with psychopathic inclinations. The activity of a psychopath always carries with it criminal violence.

How to identify the traits of the black triad​

Psychology professor Peter Jonason and his assistant Gregory Webster have developed a technique for measuring the traits of the black triad. They asked people to rate themselves in terms of:

• I tend to manipulate other people for my own good.
• I used lies for my own good
• I used flattery for my own good
• I tend to use others for my own good
• I have a lack of remorse
• I'm not particularly concerned about the moral aspect of my actions.
• I tend to be callous
• I tend to be cynical
• I want people to admire me
• I want people to pay attention to me
• I tend to seek special status
• I tend to wait for special favors from others.

Of course, people could have lied (for their own good), but we can see what traits are inherent in people predisposed to the black triad.

How to manage people with these traits​

Experienced psychologists emphasize that there are several dozen gradations of character traits of such people and, moreover, their behavior can change significantly from day to day.

A leader needs to identify negative human behavior and learn how to deal with it in order to maintain harmony in the team.

Anger​

People with psychopathic traits can experience unwarranted anger and aggression, so you should defuse these situations quickly. Some people express anger openly, while others suppress it (passive-aggressive behavior).

Your task is to defuse the situation as quickly as possible. Then have a calm conversation with that person and listen to them. You need to identify the true cause of his anger and suggest one of 12 strategies.

Intimidation​

At a basic level, this can be verbal abuse and threatening behavior, but it can also manifest and covert in the form of non-constructive criticism, belittling the dignity of another person and spreading rumors. Support the victim of bullying and prepare for serious conflict. You will need one of seven conflict strategies.

Identifying manipulations​

Manipulators are dangerous because they rarely openly show their attitude towards other people. They may seem polite and pleasant people and yet weave intrigues behind their backs and achieve their goals.

Learn strategies for dealing with manipulators.

Narcissism​

Narcissists do not know how to be team players and often use the pronoun "I" instead of "We". They have inflated egos, so they want to be in the spotlight at all times.

Stand firmly on your feet and do not yield to daffodils in anything. Answer all requests and demands with your arguments and say “no”.

Skills development​

To learn how to deal with people prone to the black triad, you will need the following skills:

• Empathy
• Ability to resolve conflicts
• High emotional intelligence
• Ability to read body language
• Be assertive
• Developed awareness

You need these skills in any case and will help in life, so take the time and start cultivating them in yourself.

We wish you good luck!