If you’ve ever wondered who exactly the people are who spend their days picking fights on the Internet, fueled by an aimless rage, science has now found the answer: They’re Machiavellian psychopaths inspired by their own narcissism and sadism (science’s labels, not ours). The psychology paper conducted by researchers at the University of Manitoba linked the personality types of Internet trolls (users who intentionally pick fights, inflame emotions and derail productive conversations), to most of the “Dark Tetrad” of character qualities. The head researcher for the study told Slate that even banning trolls isn’t effective, because they will find new ways to ruin the Internet for everyone else: “Ultimately, the allure of trolling may be too strong for sadists, who presumably have limited opportunities to express their sadistic interests in a socially-desirable manner” …
