The Dark Triad in the Office
Wondering why your office has so much drama? Meet the “snake” coworkers—masters of manipulation, ego, and chaos—otherwise known as dark triad personalities. Learn to spot their moves, protect your peace, and build genuine alliances in a workplace full of charmers and schemers.
1. Machiavellianism: The Ultimate Snake 🐍
Who they are: The puppet master, always scheming. They slide into your DMs super nice—but just watch your back.
Snake move: Gassing you up before throwing you under the bus. They spill the tea about others to climb that office ladder, then ghost you when you need help.
You’ll hear: “Hey, just between us…” Translation: You’re about to be played.
Learn more about Machiavellianism.
2. Narcissism: Main Character Syndrome
Who they are: The Office Diva or the Main Character. To them, it’s all about their vibe, their wins, their narrative.
Snake move: Taking credit for your hustle. If the squad does something great, suddenly it’s “all me, fam!” But if it flops? Instant blame-game and gaslighting.
You’ll hear: “I totally saved that project” (when you did 90% of it), or “I just have higher standards.”
See more about Narcissism.
3. Psychopathy: No-Remorse Scumbag
Who they are: The chaos agent—rules don’t apply to them; they’re here for a good time, not a long time.
Snake move: Dodging accountability, spreading shady rumors, and crossing lines with zero guilt. If there’s drama, bet they’re in the chat stirring it up and peacing out when stuff gets real.
You’ll hear: “Lighten up, it’s just work!” or “Don’t take it personally.”
Find out about Psychopathy.
How Snake Vibes Wreck the Office
- Squad trust = dead. You never know who’s real, so everyone’s on edge.
- Vibe check fails: Everyday feels like walking on eggshells—hello, Sunday scaries!
- Less getting stuff done: Energy wasted stressing about snakes instead of crushing your to-do list.
How to Handle the Office Snake Pit
- Stay woke. Trust your gut—if someone feels dodgy, don’t spill your tea.
- Drop receipts. Save the receipts (a.k.a. keep those emails and screenshots)—you’ll thank yourself later.
- Do you. Set boundaries; don’t let the snakes mess with your energy.
- Squad up. Find your work allies and stick together.
How the Dark Triad Connects to the Big Five (OCEAN) Personality Traits
While most healthy office relationships are built around high agreeableness (kindness), conscientiousness (reliability), and trust, dark triad personalities swim in the opposite direction. They’re more likely to manipulate, break rules, and put themselves at the center—all while charming the room.
Openness to Experience:
People high in narcissism sometimes also score high in openness—they’re curious, creative, and willing to try new things, especially when it puts them in the spotlight. However, Machiavellianism and psychopathy aren’t strongly linked to openness and might even trend lower.
See research in Nature.
Conscientiousness:
The ultimate “snake” rarely cares about rules or cleanup! All dark triad traits, especially psychopathy and Machiavellianism, are associated with low conscientiousness—they dislike structure and are often unreliable or impulsive.
More in Nature.
Extraversion:
Narcissists tend to rate high on extraversion—they love to be noticed and are often outgoing and charming (at first!). Machiavellianism and psychopathy show mixed results, but can surface as social boldness… or blatant risk-taking.
Read more on PubMed.
Agreeableness:
All three dark triad traits are strongly tied to low agreeableness—these folks aren’t cooperative, kind, or trusting. Basically, a dark triad “snake” is the opposite of the office peacemaker: more likely to manipulate or criticize than collaborate.
Study in IJFMR.
Neuroticism (Emotional Stability):
Results are mixed! Some narcissists show emotional stability (low neuroticism) because they’re self-confident—even if it’s all for show. Psychopathy can mean less anxiety and worry about consequences, but also more impulsivity.
Nature reference.
Key insight: The classic office “snake”—high in dark triad traits—will nearly always score low in agreeableness and conscientiousness, making them difficult teammates. If someone seems charming but ruthless, bold but unreliable, you might be seeing the dark triad/OCEAN connection in action.