Your daily text messages and casual online chats could be revealing more than you intend, potentially exposing darker aspects of your personality. According to a leading psychologist, subtle patterns in our everyday word choice can act as a window into personality dysfunction, including traits like narcissism and psychopathy.
The Language of the Dark Tetrad
Charlotte Entwistle, a psychologist at the University of Liverpool, has highlighted the powerful link between language and personality. In an article for The Conversation, she explained that whether in a quick text, a long email, or a social media comment, the words people select quietly betray deeper patterns in how they think and relate to others.
These patterns are particularly telling for what psychologists term the Dark Tetrad – a cluster of four interconnected malevolent traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism. Each is composed of specific undesirable attributes. Machiavellianism involves manipulation and a cynical disregard for morality. Narcissism is defined by grandiosity and a lack of empathy. Psychopathy is characterised by antisocial behaviour, impulsivity, and callousness. Sadism involves deriving pleasure from cruelty.
Red Flags in Your Digital Messages
So, what specific linguistic cues should raise alarm bells? Ms Entwistle points to several key indicators. An excessive use of swear words and anger-related terms like "hate" or "mad" is a significant warning sign. Regularly venting intense negativity or hatred towards people or situations can also be a red flag.
"Those with darker personality traits often use more hostile, negative and disconnected language," Ms Entwistle stated. Crucially, this is often paired with a notable absence of language that fosters social connection. They tend to use far fewer collective terms like "we", "us", or "our", instead favouring self-references such as "I" and "me".
This combination – high hostility and low social connectivity – can be a linguistic fingerprint for darker traits. The psychologist cites the example of Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger. A linguistic analysis of his personal letters found unusually high levels of self-focused language and a notably flat emotional tone.
Navigating Social Interactions with Greater Awareness
Ms Entwistle emphasises that these linguistic patterns often surface in writing long before they manifest in explicit behaviour. Recognising them can be a vital tool for navigating modern social life, both online and offline.
"In everyday situations – dating, befriending, online interactions – recognising patterns of hostility, extreme negativity, and emotional and cognitive rigidity can help people spot early signs," she advised. This awareness is particularly useful for identifying dark personality styles, offering a chance to support those struggling or to protect oneself from potential manipulation.
While not everyone who uses strong language possesses a dark personality, consistent patterns can be revealing. The psychologist hopes this knowledge will empower people to interact with greater insight, paying attention not just to what is said, but how it is said in our most commonplace digital exchanges.
