Kelly Oakes: The light triad that can make you a good person
Do you tend to see the
best in people, or assume that others are out to get you? And are you always
honest in conversation, or do you prefer to turn on the charm? Your answers to
these questions partly determine how much of an “everyday saint” you are,
according to a group of psychologists who’ve come up with a new way of looking
at beneficent personality traits. In order to qualify, it helps if you see
humans, and humanity at large, as fundamentally good – and treat them that way
too.
Two decades ago
psychologists came up with the now infamous “dark triad” of personality
traits to understand why some people don’t think twice before
cheating on a test or picking on someone weaker than them. Since
then researchers have seized upon this trio – namely narcissism,
Machiavellianism, and psychopathy – investigating how they relate to a variety
of things including workplace success, relationship
troubles, and even the seven deadly sins.
That’s exactly why
Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist at Columbia University in New York, decided
it was time to redress the balance in favour of the brighter side of our inner
lives. “It just really frustrated me that people are so fascinated with the
dark side, but the light side of personality was being neglected,” he says.
Like its dark
counterpart, the “light triad” being investigated by Kaufman and his colleagues
comprises three personality traits that together paint a picture of someone’s
overall character. Each of the traits highlight a different aspect of how you
interact with others: from seeing the best in people and being quick to
forgive, to applauding the successes of others, to being uncomfortable
manipulating people into doing something you want.
