Very illuminating:
Exposing a Troll: The Dark Pentad of Personality Traits
Before going into the case study, let’s remind ourselves of the pathology of a troll. In a great number of situations, trolls will use usernames by which they cannot be directly identified in order to conduct their unlawful behaviour. Many of them do not seem to realise that
as everything online can be tracked and cybercrime including
leading to convictions.
The reason for this anonymity is to be able to get away with dark pathological behaviour demonstrated by those with the Dark Triad of personality traits. (I referenced it as a triad in my previous article, but
are putting sadism as the fourth, making it a tetrad, which I will agree with and will consider Schadenfreude as the fifth, so here briefly is the
Dark Pentad!)
- Narcissism — an obsession with self, either partially obsessed or totally obsessed. At the extreme, someone who is totally obsessed with self is a malignant narcissist.
- Machiavellianism — a personality trait that denotes cunningness, the ability to be manipulative, and a drive to use whatever means necessary to gain power.
- Psychopathy — a pathology characterised by a lack of empathy, continuous antisocial, behaviour impulsivity, selfishness, callous and unemotional traits and remorselessness.
- Sadism - the intentional infliction of psychological or physical suffering on a conscious victim []
- Schadenfreude - feeling pleasure at the misfortunes of another and essentially wishing for bad outcomes for them. []
Of course all of this as the short vid you linked mentioned is underpinned by cowardice. None of these people would stand in front of the people they taunt online and say those things.
. You know, there is a recent case I've noticed of a troll simply repeating back what a poster they want to offend has themselves written. Remember in grade school the kid that would immediately repeat whatever you said back to you? LoLz. Same exact mentality. Classic case of arrested development at the grade school level.
"There but for the grace of god go I".
