What are we like? 10 psychology findings that reveal the worst of human nature

a post by Christian Jarrett for the Big Think blog

Are we doomed?

It's a question that's reverberated through the ages – are we humans, though imperfect, essentially kind, sensible, good-natured creatures?

Or deep down are we wired to be bad, blinkered, idle, vain, vengeful and selfish?

There are no easy answers and there's clearly a lot of variation between individuals, but this feature post aims to shine some evidence-based light on the matter. Here in the first part of a two-part feature – and deliberately side-stepping the obviously relevant but controversial and already much-discussed Milgram, Zimbardo and Asch studies – we digest 10 dispiriting findings that reveal the darker and less impressive aspects of human nature:

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New theory of dark personality reveals the 9 traits of the evil people in your life

a post by Paul Ratner for the Big Think blog


Credit: No Country for Old Men (2007)

Do evil people exist? While the answer to this may depend on your religious background and what you understand “evil” to be, scientists have figured out that people have a “dark core” to their personality. What’s more, a General Dark Factor of Personality (D-factor) exists that can tell the extent of a person’s dark traits, which cause questionable ethical, moral and social behavior.

What is the D-factor?
The research team from Germany and Denmark defined the D-factor as “the basic tendency to maximize one's own utility at the expense of others, accompanied by beliefs that serve as justifications for one's malevolent behaviors.”

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