PSYCHOPATHS WITH BITCOIN: Members of the «Dark Triad» Seizing New Business Niches
Источник фото: anabelmagazine.com
Psychologists have long observed that individuals exhibiting traits of the «dark triad» — Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy — often rise to top positions in the corporate world. However, as technological progress advances, psychopaths are now entering new social and business niches. One such niche can confidently be considered the cryptocurrency market.
STRANGE «GOLD»
In 2024, digital asset users made up 6.8% of the global population, which is roughly 562 million people. According to a Triple-A survey, the highest number of cryptocurrency users resides in North America (72.2 million) and Asian countries (326.8 million).
However, in terms of percentage of the population, the leaders are the UAE, where over 30% of the population owns digital assets, followed by Singapore with 24.4%, and Turkey with 19.3%. For comparison, in the U.S., it’s 15.5%, while Switzerland, despite having the highest rate in the EU, stands at just 11.5%.
The fastest growth is in South America, with a 116.5% increase in just one year. This isn’t surprising — take Argentina, for example, where, amid hyperinflation, even the volatile Bitcoin is positioned as «digital gold».
Who owns cryptocurrencies? Sociological studies paint this portrait: relatively young people, financially independent, and highly tech-savvy.
A team of researchers from the University of Toronto and Miami conducted a study involving 900 men and 1,101 women, with an average age of 48. About 30% of the respondents were cryptocurrency owners. This finding aligns with others: 75% of U.S. citizens still consider cryptocurrencies unsafe and unreliable.
CRIMINALS OR BUSINESSMEN?
Researchers determined the political, psychological, and social characteristics of crypto entrepreneurs and found that their psychological profile differs from that of those who do not own cryptocurrency. Governments around the world are concerned about cryptocurrency’s potential to bankrupt people, disrupt global financial markets, and possibly link to crime and terrorism.
Cryptocurrency investments are often compared to gambling or Ponzi schemes in terms of reliability. However, participants in the crypto market seem not only unbothered by this but are even motivated by its volatility.
The researchers found that cryptocurrency owners were more often men who relied on «fringe» social media platforms as their primary source of news and believed in conspiracy theories. The study also revealed a link between owning cryptocurrency and «dark» personality traits such as narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism. Psychologically, criminals and cryptocurrency users share some common ground — both exhibit a high tendency toward psychopathy and narcissism.
In the U.S., these psychological anomalies affect 1-2% of the population. However, the rate among prisoners is much higher — 30%. Interestingly, there are more individuals with these traits in North American prisons than in European ones.
WHITE-COLLAR PSYCHOPATHY
According to the DSM-5 guide on mental disorders, narcissistic personality disorder is an official medical diagnosis. However, psychopathy is not recognized as an official diagnosis, though it is considered a subtype of antisocial personality disorder. This discrepancy likely arises from the fact that criminal behavior and violence are not directly linked to psychopathy.
Renowned American psychiatrist Hervey M. Cleckley noted as early as the 1940s that not all criminals are psychopaths, and not all psychopaths are criminals. People with psychopathic traits can be charming and familiar individuals. They are abundant in business, politics, law enforcement, and even the entertainment industry.
Some studies suggest that 1 in 25 business leaders may be a psychopath. These are so-called «integrated» or «successful psychopaths». The traits they possess can actually be beneficial in specific contexts, such as a lack of fear and a high degree of self-confidence.
Psychologists actively study this phenomenon, and it has led to the creation of several clever terms, such as «white-collar psychopathy», «corporate psychopathy», and «organizational psychopathy».
THE DARK TRIAD AND CAREER SUCCESS
In their study of the «dark triad», Swiss researchers uncovered the secret to career success in an article published in Social Psychological and Personality Science. They examined the psychology of young adults aged 25 to 34 who are just starting their careers. The study revealed that high ambition is closely linked to psychopathic traits such as selfishness, callousness, and cruelty.
According to Jonathan Iliff, a psychiatrist at University College London, the desire to dominate drives many psychopaths to business success. In fact, the average level of psychopathy measured using the PCL (Psychopathy Checklist) among CEOs was found to be even higher than among inmates in maximum-security prisons.
However, success is by no means guaranteed for psychopaths. They tend to be overly optimistic about their abilities and underestimate real risks. As a result, they are not only more likely to reach the top of the corporate pyramid but also more prone to accidents, imprisonment, suicidal strategies, bankruptcy, and debt.
Examples of such individuals include the infamous CEO of Enron, Kenneth Lay, who falsified company reports, and Bernie Madoff, who orchestrated one of the most notorious financial Ponzi schemes in history.
«PSYCHOPATHIC» PROFESSIONS
Genes, upbringing, social environment — there are likely multiple factors at play. In any case, scientists don’t fully understand where narcissists and psychopaths come from. What is known is that such traits begin to manifest during adolescence and are more frequently observed in men.
Signs of narcissistic disorder and psychopathy include callousness, egocentrism, deceitfulness, manipulativeness, superficial emotions, and poorly developed empathy. It’s unclear to what extent these traits influence career choices, but there is a clear link between personality traits and occupation.
Researchers have identified ten professions with the highest and lowest levels of psychopathic traits. Those at the top include company executives, lawyers, radio or TV hosts, salespeople, surgeons, journalists, clergy, police officers, chefs, government officials, and now, cryptocurrency traders. On the other hand, professions with the lowest levels include social workers, stylists, charity workers, teachers, artists, artisans, nurses, general practitioners, and accountants.
PSYCHOPATHS AND SEX
The traits associated with psychopaths and narcissists not only help them advance their careers but also lead to having more sexual partners. While they may struggle to form long-term relationships, they often engage in a series of short-term affairs. Narcissists have, on average, 5% more sexual partners, while psychopaths have 12% more.
This isn’t solely due to their exploitative strategies when seeking sexual partners. They tend to have more obsessive thoughts about sex and are highly motivated to seek out new encounters. Additionally, psychopaths have a significantly lower level of sexual disgust, making them less selective, more sexually liberated, and unashamed of their bodies.
In short, people with traits from the «dark triad» might make better lovers than faithful spouses. Narcissistic men and women often come across as very attractive, at least initially. This is not only because of their meticulous attention to clothing and appearance, which fuels their sense of superiority. Some studies suggest that they genuinely have more pronounced facial symmetry compared to the «average» person, making them even more physically appealing.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE A PSYCHOPATH?
In Journal of Research in Personality, specialists from the Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute and the University of New Mexico published an article on the «body language» of psychopaths. Please pay attention to your conversation partner: during a conversation, they might nod or shake their head. However, with a psychopath, such movements are almost absent — their head remains still during communication.
This behavior is linked to amygdala dysfunction, which causes difficulties in processing emotions and interpersonal interactions. Another characteristic is their long, piercing stare, which psychopaths use when trying to manipulate you — whether to deceive or persuade you of something.
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