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The Light Triad

By Nate Hagens, originally published by The Great Simplification

February 18, 2025

Light reflections

(Recorded February 12th, 2025)

Description

​​Deception and self-interest seem to be increasingly prevalent in our modern cultural reality. From the highest levels of power to the cultural metrics of what is considered ‘success’ for individual humans: the Dark Triad traits of Narcissism, Sociopathy, and Machiavellianism have become disturbingly normalized. But is there an antidote? Could an opposing “Light Triad” of traits – if nurtured and protected – offer a path toward a society in service of life rather than power?

In this Frankly, Nate explores the concept of Light Triad personalities and their struggle against the Dark Triad forces shaping our social, economic, and ecological landscape. He examines how social media amplifies manipulation, why individual goodness is often outmatched by structural incentives, and whether strong, cooperative groups might hold the key to shifting the balance. Importantly, he questions whether the Light Triad can ever truly compete – or if it must evolve new strategies to stand a chance in service of life.

How many people does it take to shield a Light Triad individual from Dark Triad manipulation? Will these competing traits become more or less dominant as we move into the downslope of the Carbon Pulse? And can someone with a Dark Triad personality ever truly change, or are they hardwired for self-interest?

Show Notes

PDF Transcript

00:00 – Link to Submit Your TGS Story

02:22 – Light Triad Linkedin Post

02:36 – Dark Triad (Tetrad)

03:35 – Traits vs Values

04:41 – Metabolic Superorganism

06:09 – Light Triad, Scott Barry Kaufman, article comparing light and dark triad

06:43 – Kantianism

09:11 – Multi-level Selection

10:32 – Machiavellianism

Teaser image credit: Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
Nate Hagens

Nate Hagens

Nate Hagens is the Executive Director of The Institute for the Study of Energy & Our Future (ISEOF). Allied with leading ecologists, energy experts, politicians, and systems thinkers, ISEOF assembles roadmaps for understanding how human societies might adapt to lower-throughput lifestyles.

Nate hosts the podcast The Great Simplification, where he has conversations with experts in energy, ecology, government, technology, and the economy to provide a systemic view of the world around us.

After ten years in finance, Nate left Wall Street to study the interrelationships between energy, ecology, and economics—and the implications for human futures. He was the Managing Editor of The Oil Drum, one of the most respected websites for analysis and discussion of global energy supplies and implications of the upcoming energy transition.

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