Leanne ten Brinke is a research psychologist whose special area of expertise is what she calls ‘dark personality types’.
These are particularly cruel, malicious, manipulative people who lack empathy, people who are psychopaths, narcissists or sadists.
Psychologists estimate than one per cent of any population shows serious levels of psychopathy.
They walk among us in our workplaces and in our relationships, they could be an gaslighting partner, a narcissistic parent or a colleague who’s a bully.
There are also more serious cases, like abusive husbands or murderous mothers.
Leanne also makes the point that any one of us is capable of losing our moral bearings or enabling malicious people by cheering them on, hiring them or voting them into office.
But there are ways to resist them, and make your own life the better for it.
Further information
Poisonous People: psychopathy, narcissism, manipulation, sadism: how to resist them and improve your life is published by Simon & Schuster Australia