'Dark' personality traits thrive in societies with corruption and inequality, global study shows

[erronis]

https://phys.org/news/2025-06-dark-personality-traits-societies-corruption.html
by University of Copenhagen

A new global study shows that people in societies characterized by corruption, inequality, poverty, and violence are more likely to develop aversive, "dark" personality characteristics such as selfishness or spitefulness.

Why are some people more inclined to cheat, manipulate, or harm others for their own gain? A new, comprehensive study with data from nearly 2 million people across 183 countries and all 50 US states points to an important answer:

It is also a matter of the society in which one grows up.

Dark personality as a survival strategy

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined how aversive social conditions (high corruption, inequality, poverty and violence) are linked to what they call "The Dark Factor of Personality." This is the essence of aversive ( "dark" ) personality traits such as narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism.

. . .

The study shows that countries such as Indonesia and Mexico or U.S. states such as Louisiana and Nevada have higher "Dark Factor" levels than countries such as Denmark and New Zealand or states such as Utah and Vermont, which have better societal conditions, in terms of lower corruption, inequality, poverty, and violence.
. . .

[Trust_Reality]

1. And these results make perfect sense.

[Buns_of_Fire]

2. And then, some people are just rotten SOBs to the core.

It's in King Taco's DNA.

[EYESORE 9001]

3. Unfortunately for society, he's slinging said DNA with wild abandon

Corrupt societies feed on corruption from the top like kittens lapping up milk.