Bad people: how much bad do you have?

There is no question that if there are good people, there must also be bad people. But what distinguishes them, how do we deal with them – and: How much bad is in you?

Before we look at the abysses of the human soul, we have to say that People primarily insanely touching and lovable beings are. We are happy if we can help others, find someone with whom we get on well, who have the feeling that our life is beautiful or meaningful, or that we can light a new candle every Sunday in the dark season. Adorable and touching!

But what is also part of being human: doubting, questioning, evaluating, judging and classifying. It has proven particularly useful a system based on pairs of opposites: Small and large, fast and slow, stupid and intelligent and of course good and bad. Therefore, because of our own, subjectively human world order (which on the whole obviously works extremely well), feel we see some people as particularly good, others as rather bad people. Luckily! Because while we are orientate towards good people we should Beware of evil.

Bad people: the D factor

Serial killers, rapists, fraudsters or historical horror clowns like Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden – most of the time, when people are bad, they probably think of similar types and categories. But is there anything that unites them all? Features and characteristics by which they can be recognized? Yes, there are and scientists have it under the term "D-factor" or "factor-D" summarized (for "dark factor"). The higher a person's D factor, the more likely one would say that he has a dark, bad personality. So, roughly speaking, shows a high willingness to harm other people in order to assert their own interests. The following properties make up the D factor – designed and available in moderation in every personality, but they are only particularly pronounced in evil people.

10 typical characteristics of bad people

1. Selfishness

Bad people place their own well-being so far above that of others that they even accept their suffering and misfortune.

2. Greed

Bad people are particularly greedy and never satisfied. Even if they already have enough of something (especially material things like money, but also something like power, success, fame, etc.), they always want more – because they don't treat others.

3. Machiavellianism

A very cynical worldview is typical of bad men and women, they are convinced that there is neither real justice nor true love. That is why they act in a calculating and manipulative way when dealing with others, and they maintain social relationships mainly for strategic reasons if they hope to benefit from them.

4. Moral disinhibition

Bad people can do one thing particularly well: avoid scruples and remorse! For example, by persuading themselves to be innocent victims and only seeing the bad in their fellow human beings, they always feel right, but never responsible.

5. Narcissism

Narcissists are often energy vampires because they demand attention and confirmation from their surroundings (and do everything they can to get them), but do not tolerate any (self-) criticism or demands on them. Even bad people are often above average narcissistic, have a high urge to apply and are almost enviable in their magnificence and importance.

6. Big demands

Scientists also see having disproportionately high demands, for example, assuming that you are entitled to the bed while the rest sleeps on the floor as a criterion for a high D factor.

7. Psychopathy

Of all the categories mentioned, psychopathic behavior is probably the best way to recognize bad people as outsiders: they display a very striking and unusual way of dealing with emotions. On the one hand, they show no empathy, compassion or understanding, on the other hand, they can act out their feelings when they don't get something, for example, as uncontrolled and unfiltered as young children.

8. Sadism

Evil people are typically sadistic, which means that they have the pleasure and satisfaction of tormenting and humiliating others.

If you just blushed: sex games excluded! If you live out your D-factor in bed, but not in other areas of life, you are not an evil woman.

9. Self-centeredness

Selfishness, psychopathic tendencies, sadism – all these characteristics can only be strongly expressed in connection with an above-average self-centeredness, i.e. an excessive focus on oneself, which completely hides the needs and feelings of others.

10. Spitefulness

Schadenfreude is the most beautiful joy? Oh dear, the D-factor sends its regards! It becomes really worrying when someone even accepts their own disadvantages in order to see their fellow human beings suffering. It's hard to describe someone like that as good …

Are you afraid that there could also be a certain portion of evil in you? Here you can do the D-factor test.

How should you treat bad people?

Just like for energy vampires, the same applies to evil people: They are not on purpose! Nobody decides to be bad and to do harm to their environment or society or to be a burden. How high the D-factor is for each individual depends on many circumstances, including predisposition, experience and a large portion of chance or luck or bad luck.

The bad news: If a bad person gets in your way, the best (and only) thing you can do is to avoid him. We simply cannot change others or help them if they do not want to change themselves or let them help them. Whoever surrounds himself with bad people, who know neither compassion nor scruples, will suffer from them sooner or later – and will have problems in preserving and protecting the good in themselves.

If one interferes in the life of an evil person, then at most by warning others about them or reporting them to the appropriate authorities (police, supervisor, human resources department), provided there is a valid reason for this and they are somewhat indebted. Ideally, just punitive systems and professional, psychological support should help bad people break out of bad circles.

The good news: Those who recognize a tendency towards evil in themselves can change if he wants that! A first step must be to admit your own malice, to identify and to understand why you act badly and ruthlessly. It is only on this basis that habits can be broken and stuck behavior patterns overcome.

Depending on how high the D-factor is and how many years you have followed the "dark strategies", it can be difficult to develop from an evil person to a good person. But it is possible and the effort is definitely value! After all, not only can bad people never really love others. You also cannot learn real self-love, no real happiness, no satisfaction. Then the point of their existence is still to upgrade the good (which, ironically, is probably the last thing they want). But a beautiful, happy life definitely looks different.