Do you lean more toward the dark side or the light side?
I don’t usually take those Facebook “personality tests” because they are scientifically meaningless, and because I believe their real purpose is to sell information about one’s interests and personality to advertisers.
However, I am not opposed to self-knowledge. Legitimate, scientifically-based, tools can sometimes be helpful to one’s process of self-examination and self-improvement.
In the early 2000s, psychologists developed a test for, and a model of, the darker traits of human personality. They called their model “The Dark Triad” The three elements of the Dark Triad are: 1. Narcissism (Entitled self-importance), 2. Psychopathy (Callousness and cynicism), and 3. Machiavellianism (Strategic exploitation and deceit). The test they developed measures how strongly a person demonstrates each of these three traits.
More recently, Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist now at Columbia University, and his colleagues, developed a scale they call “The Light Triad” It includes: 1. Faith in humanity (Believing in the fundamental goodness of humans), 2. Humanism (Valuing the dignity and worth of each human being), and 3. Kantianism (Treating people as ends in themselves, not as means to an end.)
Socially aversive people certainly exist, but what about everyday saints? I’m not talking about the person who publicly does a lot of giving, and receives many public accolades and awards for all of their giving (and who constantly gives to others in order to achieve personal success). I’m talking about the person who, just by their being, shines their light in every direction. The person who isn’t constantly strategic about their giving, but who emits unconditional love naturally and spontaneously because that’s just who they are.
Scott Barry Kaufman
Interestingly, Kaufman refers to people who score high on the traits of the Light Triad as “everyday saints.” He says they “shine light in every direction” and “emit unconditional love naturally and spontaneously.”
This description caused me to reflect on the following question: “How well do those of us who call ourselves “Latter-day Saints” live up to this description of “everyday saints”? Perhaps this question will lead you, dear reader, to do some pondering and self-refection as well.
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1 John 1:5-6
Note: If you are interested in learning your own score on the Light Triad Scale use this link. You may be surprised at the results. Self-reflection is healthy. I encourage you to share this post with your friends and family.
Sources: “The Light Triad: Psychologists Outline the Personality Traits of Everyday Saints,” Lacy Schley, Discover, April 5, 2019.
“The Light Triad vs. Dark Triad of Personality,” Scott Barry Kaufman, Scientific American, March 19, 2019.
“Introducing the Light Triad,” Scott Barry Kaufman, March 15, 2019.