How dark is your personality?

Do you have a ruthless streak? Psychologists believe the “dark triad” of personality – Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy – might help you succeed in life. To measure your own dark side, choose how much you agree or disagree with the simple statements below – and we’ll tell you how dastardly you actually are.

The questions for this quiz were inspired by questionnaires developed by Delroy Paulhus and Daniel Jones (Assessment, vol 21, p 28). Our quiz was designed solely for entertainment, and the results should not be considered a scientific measure of your personality. If you would like to learn more about Paulhus’s personality research and his serious explorations of the dark triad, read our profile “The man who studies everyday evil”.

Words: David Robson. Artwork: Adam Proctor. Design: Edward Fairman and Oksana Khristenko.

This is part of BBC Future’s “Best of 2015” list, our greatest hits of the year, including:

- How dark is your personality?
- The dystopian lake filled by the world’s tech lust
- How to spot a liar
- The downsides of being drop dead gorgeous

…and much more. Browse the full list.