A psychologist has revealed a common texting habit that might give away a telltale sign that you’re actually a ‘psychopath’.
And it’s a seemingly innocuous habit many people do on a regular basis.
But according to one expert, it could be a secret sign that you’re hiding some dark personality traits.
Charlotte Entwistle is a psychologist at the University of Liverpool who has claimed that everyday word use can lock the secrets of a person’s psyche.
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Writing a piece for The Conversation, she explained: “Whether in a quick text message, a long email, a casual chat with a friend, or a comment online, the words people choose quietly reveal deeper patterns in how they think, feel, and relate to others.”
Entwistle continued: “Those with darker personality traits often use more hostile, negative and disconnected language, including more swear words and anger words, such as ‘hate’ or ‘mad’.
“At the same time, they use fewer socially connected terms like ‘we’.”
These dark personality traits are also known by experts as the Dark Tetrad, but what specific traits fall into this category?
It turns out that narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and sadism are all part of the Dark Tetrad.
Other signs that someone may have these traits include humiliating other people, disliking animals and being single, according to previous studies conducted.
Entwistle went on to say: “Many people you meet – at work, when dating, or online – may show milder difficulties, such as mood fluctuations, negativity, rigid thinking or darker traits like manipulation and callousness.
“These patterns often slip into how people speak or write long before they show up in more explicit behavior.
“Noticing these patterns can help us learn about and understand others, support those who may be struggling, and navigate our social lives safely – online and offline – with greater awareness.”
So, you might want to keep an eye on the subtle language choices people use when they are messaging you as you might be able to uncover a lot more about their personality than first meets the eye.
Entwistle added: “In everyday situations – dating, befriending, online interactions – recognizing patterns of hostility, extreme negativity, and emotional and cognitive rigidity can help people spot early signs.
“This is particularly for dark personality styles, such as psychopathy or narcissism.
“For instance, noticeably high use of self–references (‘I’, ‘me’), anger words (‘hate’, ‘angry’), and swear words, combined with a lack of terminology indicative of social connection (‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’), may be important language patterns to look out for.”