Dark triad vs. light triad: Here's what you need to know about the popular personality traits

• The dark triad and light triad are frameworks for describing different personalities.
• Dark triad traits include narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.

Whether it's enneagram numbers or horoscopes, some people have an obsession with categorizing other people's personalities as well as their own.

The "dark triad" and "light triad" personalities — each a set of three traits used to describe someone — are another classification system for understanding human behavior, Dr. Bill Chopik, a social-personality psychologist at Michigan State University, told Business Insider.

The dark triad describes more manipulative tendencies, like deceiving others and having a sense of entitlement, while the light triad describes more collaborative behaviors, like caring about others even if you don't directly benefit from helping them.

Though deciphering which of these traits you or someone you know may align with can be fun to some, there isn't an agreed-upon gold standard for describing personalities. There are also ongoing debates among researchers about which frameworks are most useful, according to Chopik.

But knowing more about dark and light triad traits can help people identify and make positive changes to their lives, Dr. Suzanne Degges-White, a licensed counselor and professor at Northern Illinois University, told BI.

Here's what we know about these two personality types.

Why are there 'triads' for personality traits?

Dark and light triad traits are not diagnosable the way that conditions like narcissistic personality disorder are, Chopik said. Rather, these personality traits exist on a spectrum, and every person has some of these traits to varying levels.

"It's useful for describing your coworker, your sister, or your boss," Chopik said. "Personality disorders are rare, so this is useful for being like, 'Maybe they're a little bit higher in this characteristic and that's why they're behaving in that way.'"

The dark triad, for example, was created in 2002 by two psychologists as a way to fill in gaps some researchers believed there to be in the "Big 5," another model for categorizing personality traits, Chopik said.

In 2020, a team of psychologists defined the light triad, essentially the "inverse" of dark triad traits, according to Degges-White.

Ultimately, all of these frameworks are tools for making sense of our own personalities, and those around us, said Chopik.

Dark triad traits

Generally, people who exhibit the dark triad traits tend to put their personal goals and interests above anything and anyone else, Business Insider previously reported. The dark triad traits are:

• Machiavellianism: Using manipulation, deception, or trickery to achieve one's goals or what they want. This trait, coined in 1970, was named after infamous Italian diplomat Niccolò Machiavelli.

• Narcissism: Feelings of extreme self-importance which lead to a need to dominate social circles, or be the center of attention or praise. The trait of narcissism is not the same as narcissistic personality disorder, a diagnosable and rare condition.

• Psychopathy: Psychopathy is the inability to feel empathy or fear, which could potentially lead to participation in more risky behaviors, like substance abuse, sex, and crimes.

Light triad traits

Generally, people who exhibit more of the light triad traits are "focused on collaboration, cohesion, looking for the best in other people, and fulfilling the responsibilities and obligations we have in this world," Degges-White said. "It's a very positive perspective that involves respect for self and respect for others."

These light triad traits are:

• Humanism: Seeing yourself as well as other people as inherently worthy of dignity.

• Kantianism: Stepping up and helping others because it's the right thing to do — even if you don't feel like it or don't get anything out of it. This was named for the theories of German philosopher Immanuel Kant.

• Faith in humanity: Believing that people are fundamentally good and have the ability to do good.

How to tell if you have any light triad or dark triad traits

There are online quizzes you can take to better understand your personality traits, including if they fall under the light triad or dark triad frameworks, Chopik said.

He suggested one created by Nathan W. Hudson, a psychologist studying adult attachment and personality development, that assesses for both triads.

Generally, people's personalities remain steady over their lifetimes, with any changes being subtle, according to Chopik.

But it's possible for someone's dark personality traits to become lighter over time, since experiences can often cause someone to realize their behaviors or mindsets are no longer serving them in the ways they desire, according to Chopik.

If you wish to have more light triad traits, Degges-White said that "just raising your awareness to the point that you want to change is good because that's the first thing you have to do."

"We all have dark impulses, we all have positive, good impulses," Degges-White said. But when we prioritize light triad traits, "we show our better self and act from a better place."