Psychopaths and Quiet Quitting Linked

New research suggests a significant connection between quiet quitting and personality traits categorized as the 'dark triad.' Psychopathic and narcissistic tendencies are strongly associated with employees who disengage by performing only essential duties. This behavior is often fueled by an inflated sense of entitlement and a reduced capacity for guilt when their perceived needs are unmet.

The study highlights that individuals with higher levels of psychopathic traits, characterized by emotional detachment and impulsivity, may find quiet quitting a more natural choice. This is exacerbated by moral disengagement, a mental process that allows individuals to detach from responsibility and guilt, making it easier to justify reduced effort without internal conflict.

While not all quiet quitters possess these dark triad traits, and other factors like burnout can contribute, the research indicates that psychopathic tendencies make the decision to step back from discretionary effort more readily acceptable. Machiavellianism, the third dark triad trait, showed no association with quiet quitting.