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Why Narcissists, Machiavellians & Psychopaths Crave Power

An empty throne in a misty jungle clearing, vines creeping up the arms.

Addicted to Control: Why Dark Traits Are Obsessed with Power


Power doesn’t change everyone. But to the darkly inclined, it is oxygen.
Give a narcissist a spotlight, a Machiavellian a lever, a psychopath a room with no rules—and watch the temperature drop.


Three routes to the same throne

  1. Narcissism: Power validates specialness; it’s proof the mirror was right. Research shows narcissism often helps people emerge as leaders—even when it doesn’t make them good ones. 
  2. Machiavellianism: Power is a toolbox—access, information, plausible deniability.
  3. Psychopathy: Power removes friction—empathy, fear, consequence—replaced by dominance. Authoritative overviews describe lack of remorse and shallow affect at the core. 

How it plays out at work

  • Fast ascent, fragile teams: Charisma wins interviews; control poisons culture. Reviews tie Dark Triad traits to toxic climates and worse outcomes when politics rise. 
  • Abusive micro-tactics: Withholding information, public charm/private punishing, “divide-and-conquer” resourcing.
  • Counterproductive work behavior (CWB): From subtle sabotage to policy-proof bullying, meta-analysis links Dark Triad (DT) traits to greater CWBs.

In intimate relationships


The playbook is quieter—but sharper: isolation disguised as romance, love-bombing that becomes rule-setting, and conditional safety (“Do this, or I’ll leave”). If you catch the pattern early, leave a paper trail and recruit allies—friends, therapist, legal counsel. (The goal is to get you alone; don’t make it easy.)


If you can’t leave (yet)

  • Boundary stacking: One small, non-negotiable boundary at a time.
  • Neutral channels: Keep discussions in text/email; decline phone spirals.
  • Process shields: In teams, route approvals through shared systems; in life, route money/time through shared calendars.

Read next (for the pattern behind the mask):


Don’t just spot the pattern—break it. Download Dark Secret Lie (free) and learn the moves before they’re used on you. 



stay curious, stay aware — power doesn’t change monsters; it just gives them better lighting.



With thrills,

Penelope McGrath

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Location: Puerto Rico

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