The White Rose, Second Leaflet, Munich 1942
"Coined by psychologists Delroy Paulhus and Kevin Williams in 2002, the term 'Dark Triad' describes three distinct but overlapping traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy. Each carries its own texture — grandiosity, manipulation, coldness — but they share a common core: callousness and exploitation. Think of it as a psychological Venn diagram.
- Narcissism craves admiration.
- Machiavellianism craves control.
- Psychopathy craves thrill and dominance.
At first glance, the narcissist dazzles. They radiate confidence, charm, and certainty. They know how to light up a room, and how to make you feel lit by their glow. But beneath the sheen lies fragility. The narcissist is addicted to admiration-craving it like oxygen. Without it, their grandiosity cracks. Criticism cuts deeper than a blade. Rejection feels like annihilation. What marks narcissism in the Dark Triad isn't just self-love, it's exploitation. Others become mirrors, reflecting back validation. Relationships become stages for their performance.
In modern culture, narcissism thrives because it's rewarded. Influencers curate endless self-image. CEOs spin their charisma into power. Politicians build cults of personality. The narcissist doesn't just survive in today's world-they're celebrated for the very traits that corrode intimacy and truth.
Where the narcissist craves the spotlight, the Machiavellian prefers the shadows. Cold, calculating, and relentlessly strategic, the highly Machiavellian treat life as a chessboard. People are pawns. Relationships are leverage. Morality is optional. High-Machs aren't impulsive like psychopaths. They're patient. They bide their time, cultivate influence, and strike when it counts. This makes them dangerous not for their explosions, but for their persistence. In workplaces, they thrive in office politics. In relationships, they use charm and deception as tools. In leadership, they cloak self-interest as pragmatism. Where narcissists want applause and psychopaths want chaos, Machiavellians want control. And they'll wait as long as it takes to get it.
If narcissism dazzles and Machiavellianism plots, psychopathy devours. Psychopaths are marked by callousness, impulsivity, and thrill-seeking. They feel little fear, little remorse, and little empathy. To them, people are not companions or colleagues-they are tools, obstacles, or prey. Unlike narcissists, they don't hunger for admiration. Unlike Machiavellians, they don't always wait patiently for the long game. Psychopaths live for the immediate rush-risk, dominance, the thrill of breaking rules.
The dark psychology of psychopathy lies in its emotional poverty. Charm without care. Action without regret. Desire without restraint. It's not always violent crime. Sometimes it's the executive who cuts thousands of jobs with a smile. Sometimes it's the partner who betrays without a flicker of guilt. Sometimes it's the leader who gambles with millions of lives, chasing only their own win. The predator doesn't always snarl. Sometimes it shakes your hand."
Mark Hussey, The Dark Triad, The Brink, 29 August 2025
"The mood may be summed up thus: a shocking crime was committed on the unscrupulous initiative of few individuals, with the blessing of more, and amid the passive acquiescence of all."
Tacitus, The Murder of Galba, Annals
Stocks did their usual pop on Monday, as those who hedged their positions over this weekend of war were squeezed by the wiseguys.
Machine-gunning lifeboats is one of their favorite plays.
There will be an option expiration at the end of this week.
There will be an FOMC rate decision on Wednesday afternoon.
I am have little doubt that Bessent is lobbying hard for a rate cut, at Donnie's behest.
The Dollar slipped off the 100 handle.
Bitcoin is hold in the low 70's.
This market is pumped by the bubble fluffers in the Treasury and NY Fed, and their Banker friends who will hitch an easy ride on any wash and rinse, especially if it is backed by the Administration.
It is set up for what could prove to be a fairly impressive correction.
The 'war' is not going well at all. My major concern is that someone is going to do something monumentally foolish and cross the mother of all red lines.
We are caught in a deep well of sickness, made by the servants and enablers of the Dark Triad.
What is surprising is how slowly people are coming to recognize this dilemma we are in.
Have a pleasant evening.
