Burning Out with the Dark Triad: How the Nastiest Personality Traits Are Fueling Academic Exhaustion

Monday, November 11, 2024.

There’s a new twist on why students (and professors!) are collapsing under the weight of academic burnout.

A recent study published in Acta Psychologica has revealed an intriguing—if slightly chilling—insight: personality traits from the infamous “dark triad” (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) might be setting up certain students for a crash course in exhaustion, thanks to their intense focus on appearing flawless.

Let’s unpack this twisted love triangle of burnout, manipulation, and academic life.

The Dark Triad—Villains in the Ivory Tower

In the world of psychology, the “dark triad” isn’t some elite club; it’s a set of traits that often spell trouble for anyone close enough to feel the effects. The triad includes:

• Machiavellianism: Think strategic manipulation, the kind of person who’d rather “play the game” than join the team.

• Narcissism: All about self-promotion and grandiosity, like that one friend who believes the universe revolves around their GPA.

• Psychopathy: Impulsivity and emotional detachment, along with a thrill-seeking disregard for others.

In everyday life, these traits can be obnoxious, but in academia—where success often demands collaboration, emotional resilience, and a dash of humility—they may lead to something much darker: burnout.

Burnout in Academia: More Than Just Sleepless Nights

Academic burnout is more than skipping one too many sleep cycles or overdosing on coffee.

It’s a debilitating blend of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and a deflated sense of achievement. Previous research has shown that personality quirks like neuroticism make people vulnerable to burnout.

However, as psychologist Melissa Klerks—one of the study’s lead authors—wondered, “Could these dark traits also crank up the risk of burnout, especially in competitive fields like academia?” Spoiler: The answer appears to be yes, especially when mixed with an unrelenting obsession to look perfect.

Perfectionism: The Dark Triad’s Fuel to the Burnout Fire

One peculiar habit fuels burnout in these dark-triad types: perfectionistic self-presentation—the intense drive to look flawless, no matter the cost.

Students high in Machiavellianism and psychopathy, for example, tend to hide their mistakes and strive to project a perfect image.

Why? Because, for them, every interaction is a calculated step in the ladder to success or power.

The study, which surveyed over 300 students, discovered that those scoring high in Machiavellianism and psychopathy were also more likely to report classic symptoms of burnout, like exhaustion and detachment.

Their perfectionistic habits—avoiding mistakes at all costs, hiding any sign of imperfection—seem to create a pressure cooker that eventually bursts into burnout.

Narcissism and Burnout: A Tricky Relationship

Narcissism also plays a role, though the link is a little murkier. Narcissists in the study were particularly prone to burnout when they felt the need to hide their mistakes.

For these students, the fear that a single slip-up might shatter their carefully crafted self-image created additional stress—though strangely enough, their general need to “look perfect” wasn’t as directly tied to burnout.

The takeaway? Even narcissists can crack under the pressure to look like they’re acing every test, research project, and (yes) group assignment.

Why Are Dark-Triad Types So Prone to Burnout?

In academia, where the pressure to succeed often borders on the absurd, students with high dark-triad traits may feel the need to prove themselves constantly.

Their strategic manipulation (Machiavellianism) or emotional detachment (psychopathy) might boost their ambition but sabotage their wellbeing. In other words, they’re setting themselves up for burnout by refusing to let any chinks show in their armor.

Study Limitations and Future Research (Yes, Even More Research)

Klerks and her team acknowledge some limitations in their work. Since the study was based on self-reports, there’s always a chance that students didn’t fully reveal their darker tendencies—no one likes to think of themselves as the villain, after all.

Plus, the study focused on a sample of Dutch students, so its results might not apply to students worldwide.

The authors hope future studies will take a closer look at the role of these dark traits in academic and professional burnout.

Longitudinal studies could shed light on whether perfectionistic self-presentation and burnout feed off each other over time, leading to a vicious cycle of self-imposed stress.

So, What’s the Takeaway?

Klerks concludes that recognizing and managing perfectionistic tendencies—especially in students prone to dark-triad behavior—could be a way to prevent burnout. After all, a little imperfection never hurt anyone (and, frankly, it’s a lot easier than playing the part of the perfect academic all the time).

In the meantime, academia might benefit from encouraging a bit more transparency and a lot less perfectionism.

Because if there’s one thing this study proves, it’s that the path to burnout is paved with hidden flaws, dark-triad traits, and the exhausting act of pretending to have it all together. As a colleague of mine once mused “why are the fights in academia so vicious? Because the stake snare so small.”

Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.

References

Klerks, M., Dumitrescu, R., & De Caluwé, E. (2024). The relationship between the Dark Triad and academic burnout mediated by perfectionistic self-presentation. Acta Psychologica, 250, 103729.

Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behaviour, 2(2), 99-113.