Chapter 3: Psychopaths, Narcissists, and Machiavellians – The Dark Triad
Discussion Before the Break
1. What are the common denominators shared by the psychopaths, narcissists and Machiavellians? (p. 38)
2. What are the behavioral traits and activities in the brain that characterize the psychopaths? (pp. 42-46)
3. Goldman presents many different categories of people lacking in empathy:
criminal psychopaths successful psychopaths
grandiose narcissists vulnerable narcissists
Machiavellians narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)
Discuss the similarities and differences among them. (pp. 42 – 48). But don’t spend too much time on this question.
4. There is a brief discussion of the callous and kind people in one study cited by Goldman.
How would you distinguish between these two categories of people, based on the book or your own experiences? (p. 45)
5. How can the empathy trait be used for either good or bad purpose? (p. 56)
6. What are the characteristics of a Machiavellian according to Goldman? (pp. 59 – 60)
7. Goldman gives only one reason for the rise of narcissism and psychopathy. Can you think of other reasons?
Discussion After the Break
1. Goldman raises the nature vs. nurture issue in this chapter. Discuss whether the psychopaths, narcissists and Machiavellians are born this way or they become the Dark Triad after birth.
2. Goldman went through a range of emotions (surprise, embarrassment, shame and grudging acceptance) in reaction to his scores on the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised questionnaire. Why? Would you have experienced the same reaction if you scored like him? Explain.
"Epigenetics: Why Inheritance Is Weirder Than We Thought."
"Epigenetics: Why Inheritance Is Weirder Than We Thought."
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