Attributes and Tactics of Dark Personalities / Persistent Predatory Personalities

Dec 30, 2024

Introduction

I posted about Dr. Mitchell’s PhD thesis, Persistent Predatory Personalities [1] a few months ago. Dr. Mitchell contacted many therapists and from the answers to her questions, she suggested that instead of the dark personality types being split into many different classifications, eg sociopaths, narcissists, psychopaths, that an overarching dark personality which she called a Persistent Predatory Personality. (PPP).

This makes sense to me and not only is probably more accurate, but a useful concept that is more easily understood that the previous split classifications. Indeed the classifications may have previously been deliberately confused by PPP’s in positions of influence who ensured that happened.

The only downside is that the phrase that PPP stands for is not as easily remembered at first as psycho or dark personality.

Dr. Mitchell said that PPP’s had various attributes that could be split into 4 groups.

Summary of PPP Attributes, Tactics and Differentiators - Outline

What Dr Mitchell has done is to speak to many therapists, and then classified the attributes of PPP’s / Dark Personalities into 4 groups.

Then she has formulated a list of their tactics /weaponry they use.

There are some features that differ from person to person but they can also be grouped - Differentiators and also some Values that they deem important.

The above is a Summary, the next section goes into slightly more detail, with text as well as screenshots.

Attributes, Tactics and Differentiators - Detail

An attribute is defined as a quality or feature as a characteristic or inherent part of someone.

Attributes (20)

An attribute is defined as a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone.

Group 1 – They drive the agenda.

Group 2 – They are motivated and operate differently and darkly.

Group 3 – They are hard to identify, and the truth is not easy to distinguish.

Group 4 – They don’t experience feelings in the same way as others.

Group 1 – They drive the agenda.

1. A drive for control, power, dominance.
2. Self-view of superior and special, entitled.
3. A pathological, explosive inner response to being compromised or challenged.
4. Vengeful.
5. Uncompromising.

Group 2 – They are motivated and operate differently and darkly.

1. Predatory (including calculated).
2. Sadistic (including cruel).
3. Has a low regard for laws, regulations, and agreements, as well as social and moral codes.
4. Sexual boundarylessness.
5. Unreasonable expectations of others.

Group 3 – They are hard to identify, and the truth is not easy to distinguish.

Actively cultivates facade of ‘normal’.
Chameleon-like.
Dishonest.
Devious and manipulative, including consciously exploiting and misleading others to be inadvertently complicit (The dark personality superpower).
Unwillingness to accept responsibility for negative impacts they cause.

Group 4 – They don’t experience feelings in the same way as others.

Without authentic emotion, emotional responses are acted.
Callous.
Unremorseful.
Self-interested.
Brazen.

Weaponry or Tactics (25)

Intimidates with an intent to create fear.
Isolates.
Weaponises the justice system.
Accuses the victim of their own nefarious deeds (‘reverse attribution’), blames others.
Creates a contrived sense of deep connection.
Pretends to be the victim.
Capitalises on data.
Blocks, evades, and deflects.
Focusses on evidence reduction and avoidance of transparency.
Diminishes, degrades, disempowers, and discredits.
Engages in a complex set of behaviours which are difficult to ‘see through’ and understand collectively.
Uses convoluted discussion.
Confuses and creates chaos.
Publicly and privately provokes.
Moves in and out of supportive and non-supportive approaches.
Attacks process and the qualifications, experience and integrity of professionals who challenge them.
Ingratiates themselves to people in power.
Dismisses, denies, and minimises.
Justifies and excuses.
Blackmails and bribes.
Delays and postpones.
Obligates.
Forces, coerces, and bullies.
Creates and capitalises on divisiveness, divides, and conquers.
Mirrors and copies.

Differentiators

A third and final high-level theme that emerged from Section 1 of the survey data relates to features that may differ among people of DP. Attributes and tactics are shared by adult people of DP. Differentiating features are not shared by all people of DP, but they nevertheless may be grouped.

Capability is defined as the extent of someone's ability. Value is defined as one's perspective of what is important in life.

Capabilities

1. Planning and goal setting.

2. Emotion emulation and persona creation.

3. Presentation of competence.

4. Focus and purpose.

5. Funding of lifestyle.

6. Self-protection.

7. Retention of freedom.

Value is defined as one's perspective of what is important in life.

Values

Wealth
Attention from others
Status
Viewed as reliable
Legacy.

The above can be used a a quick reference to the main attributes and tactics of these Persistent Predatory Personalities. Another important point to note is that Persistent Predatory Personalities have brain anomalies.

Prefrontal Cortex and Amygdala Brain Anomalies

Narcissists / psychopaths have prefrontal cortex and amygdala brain anomalies and they are motivated entirely differently to normal people. Their drivers are control, sadism, deception and exploitation.

However they are very good at mimicking how normal people behave.

Predators and Prey have same Charateristics

Unfortunately there is another group who same attributes and use the same tactics as these Persistent Predatory Personalities. These are victims of abuse / child abuse exhibiting normal human reactions to extreme abuse and torture. Dr. Mitchell likens it to predators and prey.

Extract from Dr. Mitchells’s Tweets, with full context after…

Context…

Persistent Predatory Personality - Predator and Prey [3] Text

Mental health professionals keep jumping on my timeline and espousing differing, conflicting and often incorrect information about people who actively violate social norms and harm and disadvantage others by conscious choice.

Interestingly, I found the academic literature in this area to be exactly the same.

For the sake of clarity I will go into the findings from my PhD again, in this regard.

There is only really one group of people who actively violate social norms and harm and disadvantage others by conscious choice.

Then there is a group of people who have similar behaviours but behave this way for a different reason. These two groups could be described as follows.

Predators and prey!

Throughout history there has been acknowledgement of these two groups of people with similar sets of behaviours but with different motivations.

Predators have been named things like malignant narcissist, psychopath, Machiavellian, type A psychopath. They do not experience shame or empathy and enjoy inflicting sadistic pain on others. They are motivated first and foremost by control.

The second group has suffered considerable abuse. They experience shame whereas group A does not. Group B has been called things such as borderline personality disorder, ASPD, sociopathy, vulnerable narcissism.

Group B, in fact, demonstrates normal human reactions to extreme levels of abuse and torture. I do not believe it is a personality disorder. This is an important distinction so I repost this regularly….

My PhD data indicates that narcissists, psychopaths and Machiavellians are all subsets of one overarching dark personality type - which I refer to as Persistent Predatory Personality (PPP).

This personality type (including psychopaths) is supremely self focused, manipulative, sadistic, cruel, and profoundly dishonest, although they often seem upstanding and normal.

This group has a shared set of attributes and powerfully use the same set of tactics to destroy and remain unaccountable.

MRI imaging work shows PPP, subsuming psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism, have prefrontal cortex, and amygdala brain anomalies. They are wired to be like this.

Some people engage in the same behaviours as Persistent Predatory Personalities however, their motivation is not the same.

Their behaviours are a consequence of abuse, childhood trauma, etc. These people are often referred to as sociopaths, BPD, vulnerable narcissists. They are different to PPP in key ways.

Over time several terms have been developed to distinguish between the 2 groups of people exhibiting similar behaviours with a different motivation… Psychopath v sociopath, malignant narcissist v vulnerable narcissist, type A psychopath v type B psychopath and so on.

My data indicates there is just one over-arching dark personality type which is deeply malevolently motivated - PPP (including psychopaths), and another kind of person who exhibits similar behaviours but do not have the same brain anomalies.

The second group of people experience shame and with work may become more effective in their functioning.

The important part is that the abuse victims do not have the brain anomalies, they can feel shame and they can become more effective in their functioning. PPP’s have the brain anomalies, do not feel shame and cannot become more effective in functioning.

Flying Monkeys

Dr Mitchell talks about Flying Monkeys

The Persistent Predatory Personality also have “flying monkeys” influenced by the dark personality, which are in a less powerful relationship that the “partner henchmen” (see later) but support the predator in their goals. Sometimes the “flying monkeys” know what they are getting into but sometimes are inadvertently drawn in.

Flying monkeys refer to people who are influenced by a dark personality to support them in their goals which they may position as noble but are in fact nefarious. Sometimes the flying monkeys know exactly what they are doing but often they are inadvertently drawn in to a manipulation. Partner henchman is a much more powerful relationship than the flying monkeys. You will often see the two names together. You will hear people talking about both of them instead of just one of them. It makes the partner henchman a far more impregnable force.

Partner Henchmen

There is often a Partner Henchman, who is groomed by the PPP to be grateful to the PPP. When two people present as a single force it is a very very strong red flag for a PPP.

A very interesting fact about narcissists/psychopaths…. They often have what I refer to as a ‘partner henchman’. The partner henchman (PH) is groomed by the psychopath/narcissist to be so supremely grateful to the psychopath/narcissist for opportunities they have offered them and so entwined in the life of the psychopath/narcissist that they are compelled to support them no matter what.

This is not out of respect/consideration on behalf of the psychopath/narcissist, rather it is a tactic to decrease the risk of them being exposed and/or brought down.

One example of this might be a shy, undriven academic being pulled up on the shirttails of a narcissist/psychopathic prolific publisher academic. By co-authoring, the partner henchman is locked in.

The psychopath/narcissist will do other things to further deepen that partner henchman sense of loyalty. For example, they may profess (lie) to be struggling with a health issue that they can only talk to the PH about, they might ask favours of them such as giving away their daughter at her wedding in the absence of a father.

The bond is like that of a creeping vine living on a tree.

Sometimes psychopaths/narcissists choose their child as a partner henchman. Sometimes they choose their wife/husband as a PH. Sometimes it might be a CEO choosing a CFO, treasurer or other financial specialist as a partner henchman (often in business the partner henchman is a financial specialist because the CEO is often engaged in nefarious activities they do not want exposed).

When you see 2 people that seem to present as a single force, this is a very, very strong red flag for a psychopath.

Discussion

This information should help survivors and others to look out for the signs - the attributes and tactics of a Persistent Predatory Personality. It should also help distinguish abuse victims from PPP’s and help any survivors who have developed these poor neural pathways to learn to rid themselves of these. Abuse victims will mostly not be PPP’s but can behave like them. They feel shame though and can improve. There may also be PPP’s who have been abused but are PPP’s and cannot improve or feel shame.

Here is a pdf of Dr.Mitchell’s full thesis.

Psychopaths+narcissists+machiavellians+toxic+leaders+coercive+controllers++subsets+of+one+overarching+dark+personality+type++mitchell+phd+thesis

9.79MB ∙ PDF file

Download

PDF download of Dr. Mitchell’s Phd thesis on Persistent Predatory Personalities

Previous foxblog Posts on Similar Topics

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Romeo Spies 2 - Human Intelligence Operatives Techniques [12]
Romeo Spies 3 Sexpionage [13]
Romeo Spies 4 The Spy Who Loved Me Video [14]
AI Tweet Generators and AI Social Media Posts [15]
Romeo Spy 5 [16]
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Links

[1] 2024 Sept 28 foxblog3 Persistent Predatory Personalities https://foxyfox.substack.com/p/psychopaths-narcissists-machiavellians #psychopaths #PersistentPredatoryPersonalities #PPP #survivors #DrMitchell #karenmitchell

[2] Political Ponerology - Introducing the Persistent Predatory Personality