During a gathering with friends, we discussed whether a personality inclined towards light or darkness would be more advantageous at work, which served as the theme for this month's article. 

If their work capabilities are the same, we generally believe that people who play tricks may have more promotion opportunities, as they tend to work harder to showcase themselves, which is more likely to be noticed. However, we somewhat disdain these tricksters and are unwilling to use similar methods to seize opportunities. It's as if two types of people are competing using different methods. 

First, let’s understand how to distinguish between the dark triad and the light triad. Psychologically, the formation of these two aspects of personality can be divided into three pillars, forming the dark triad and the light triad. The dark triad consists of Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy. Narcissism, no need to explain, it’s literal; Machiavellianism means using any means to achieve an end; Psychopathy is a personality disorder, which can be simplified as a lack of empathy, and in severe cases, turning hostility toward society into action. 

As for the light triad, they are Kantianism, Humanitarianism, and belief in Humanity. Kantianism emphasizes responsibility rather than results, and everyone should have principles that conform to moral standards; Humanitarianism is about respecting the dignity and value of every individual; belief in Humanity makes us believe that humanity is inherently good, akin to the doctrine of inherent goodness. 

Indeed, research has shown that many outstanding leaders tend to have narcissistic tendencies because narcissism and self-confidence are positively correlated, which is an important trait to attract followers. Moreover, people with the dark triad can set aside certain moral standards to a certain extent, have more means available than those with the light triad, and can wander the gray area at will. Most importantly, in the business world, the way of calculating the value of people is not the same as the way of society and social circles. As long as the economic value is high enough and there is sufficient supervision, enterprises will not pay too much attention to personal issues. 

American scholar Scott Barry Kaufman has conducted research on light and dark triads and found that although the factors of light and darkness are negatively correlated, the values are only at an intermediate level, reflecting that individuals actually possess both light and dark natures, and extremely light or dark personalities are actually rare. If -5 represents extreme darkness and +5 represents extreme light, the average score for ordinary people in daily life is about 1.3, indicating that people tend to lean towards the light side in group life, also explaining why the general public is averse to dark behavior. 

With the analysis of personality as a basis, there are researches that can answer the question we raised at the beginning of our article, whether a dark triad will lead to a higher income level. The answer is no evidence to proof. Yes, most studies have found that income is not strongly associated with a dark triad. However, there is a correlation between light and dark triads for happiness, and people with a light triad have significantly higher life satisfaction than those with a dark triad. 

Although personality and income are not strongly associated, it does not mean that people with the light triad do not need to learn dark tricks. The comic series "The Ravages of Time" about the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history once said, "When traitors wield authority, patriots must also wield authority ", because patriots need to know how to wield authority to suppress traitors. Therefore, people with the light triad should still learn some self-defense techniques corresponding to the dark triad. You don't need to take the initiative, just self-defense is enough. Since having a happier life is already a victory. 

Some say that there is a monster in everyone's heart, which refers to the dark side within us. Hirokazu Koreeda's film "Monster" shows that even if we do what we think is good, from another perspective, it will cause harm to some people. Each of us may become a monster in the eyes of others, proving that there is no pure good or evil in human nature.

Simon So

Chief Experience Officer of Hantec Group