Are psychopaths born that way, or are they are product of their environment?
Well according to this study our personalities are shaped by where we grow up, and apparently four states in the nation contain the highest level of those in possession of "dark personality traits."
Those states are Nevada, New York, South Dakota, and Texas!
The study, conducted by Ingo Zettler, Lau Lilleholt, Benjamin E. Hilbig, Morten Moshagen, and Martina Bader at the University of Copenhagen, found that humans "display different levels of dark personality traits depending on their location and the concentration of aversive societal conditions (ASC) that place possesses."
According to the NY Post, dark personality traits, or the dark triad, are recognized by psychologists as psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism, which is the desire or urge to exploit others.
The study found that states "with high rates of both poverty and crime, large income disparities, and minimized healthcare access" often produce individuals who exhibit more dark personality traits as a result of their personal individual hardship.
Zettler explained, "The more adverse conditions in a society, the higher the level of the dark factor of personality among its citizens.
"Aversive personality traits are associated with behaviors such as aggression, cheating, and exploitation — and thus with high social costs. Therefore, even small variations can lead to large differences in how societies function.
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