[비즈한국] Jang Yun-gi, who wielded a weapon against a high school student walking down the street; Jo Jae-bok, who assaulted and murdered his mother-in-law… We live in an era where we encounter major criminals on a daily basis. I often wonder. Those who kill their parents, lovers, or others often offer reasons like parental abuse, a breakup, or simply being angry. However, not everyone in such situations becomes a murderer. While some overcome pain, others resort to violence. What is the difference between them? What kind of person becomes a criminal?
A new book has been released that provides answers to these questions. The new book, 'The Dark Factor,' summarizes the findings of German psychologists Benjamin E. Hilbig, Morten Moshagen, and Ingo Zettler, who studied 2.5 million people worldwide over a 10-year period. Based on the latest behavioral psychology research, it explores the 'nature of evil.'
Written by Benjamin E. Hilbig, Morten Moshagen, and Ingo Zettler, Translated by Park Gyu-ho, Published by Eunhaengnamu
There is a German proverb that says, 'Opportunity makes a thief.' They conducted an experiment to verify this. Participants were asked to roll a die; if it landed on 6, they received money, and if it landed on any other number, they did not. If they were willing, they could lie to receive the money. Interestingly, the experimental results showed that about 20-35% of participants lied. Even when the benefits were changed—such as offering more money or exempting them from a task—the ratio remained similar.
In particular, those who lied once were highly likely to repeat the behavior later. While opportunity does not turn everyone into a thief, those who lie once are much more likely to lie again. In this way, evil behavior is repetitive, and an evil character is bound to manifest in various ways.
The book starts with the 'small evils' we commonly encounter in daily life—lying, theft, hate speech, bullying—and delves into the core of human nature's evil: the 'dark factor.' The dark factor quantifies personality traits prone to evil acts, labeling them as the D-factor. People with a high D-factor prioritize their own interests over others and treat the suffering of others as secondary or meaningless. The core is the act of 'causing harm to others,' whether intentional or unconscious. These tendencies manifest through beliefs meant to justify one's actions, such as a sense of 'superiority' that I am better than others, 'distrust' believing the world is a dangerous place, and a 'hierarchical consciousness' that one must be above others in the struggle for survival.
The authors examine how the D-factor can be measured and compared, and what relationship it has with other traits such as gender, education, and intelligence. They also cover how it changes with age, whether there are genetic factors, and what influence social environments have. Fundamentally, they explore whether living evilly is truly profitable and whether it leads to happiness and satisfaction.
Particularly interesting is the finding that differences in social environments, such as instability and inequality, can reinforce the D-factor. For instance, in an environment where essential resources like food and water are scarce and one's survival is only guaranteed by the sacrifice of others, a higher D-factor is advantageous for survival. If such conditions persist, evil behavior is deemed useful or inevitable, and evil becomes rampant throughout society.
Conversely, if we resolve social instability and inequality and build institutional mechanisms to mitigate their effects, we can lower the D-factor of society as a whole. While it is difficult to change an individual's personality and behavior, it is possible to build robust social systems and safety nets. This may indeed be a powerful and rapid solution to reducing evil in society as a whole.
We often see people who lie, ignore others' suffering, and climb to the top by any means necessary. Sometimes, it even feels like one can only succeed by doing so. If that is the case, are they happy? Are they satisfied?
'Fortunately,' research results indicate that the higher a person's dark factor, the more likely they are to have lower overall life satisfaction. Benefits gained by sacrificing others do not contribute to an individual's happiness in the long run. Success obtained through evil does not lead directly to happiness. So, let’s succeed through goodness and become happy together.
By the way, if you are curious about your own dark factor, you can check it yourself on the authors' survey website. If you are mentally prepared, feel free to give it a try.