If watching others squirm gives a little thrill, science has some bad news. A new study suggests that enjoying the suffering of others—whether through trolling, video games, or even squashing insects—might be a red flag for psychopathy. Turns out, sadism isn’t just for horror movie villains; it’s lurking right in the general population.
Researchers at Maastricht University decided to poke this psychological hornet’s nest and found something unsettling: people will gleefully harm others—even tiny, defenseless bugs—if given the chance. Participants in their twisted little experiment were given two simple choices: torture insects or blast people with loud noises. Many didn’t hesitate.
Let’s talk about the bug-grinding task. Volunteers were handed live woodlice and told to dump them into what looked like a coffee grinder. The good news? The grinder was fake. The bad news? Many participants didn’t know that and still went through with it. Imagine waking up thinking you’re a normal, functioning human being, only to end your day gleefully playing executioner to innocent bugs.
Then there was the “game-blasting” experiment, where participants were given the option to startle others with an unbearably loud noise. No prizes for guessing how many jumped at the opportunity. Spoiler: too many.
This study wasn’t about sexual sadism—no Fifty Shades of Grey nonsense here. It focused purely on the everyday variety, the kind that hides in plain sight in online trolling, brutal sports, and, apparently, coffee-grinder executions for bugs. And no, simply enjoying a horror movie doesn’t make someone Hannibal Lecter, but an unhealthy enthusiasm for humiliating others just might.
To make things even darker, the research tied these sadistic tendencies to psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism—collectively known as the “Dark Triad.” If that sounds like something ripped from a dystopian novel, it basically is. These traits are linked to a lack of empathy, manipulative behavior, and, unsurprisingly, a taste for destruction.
The big revelation? Sadism isn’t rare. It’s not just the domain of serial killers and movie villains cackling over their master plans. It’s everywhere, lurking in the everyday cruelty of social media, competitive gaming, and people who get a little too much joy from watching others fail.
So, do you revel in the suffering of video game characters? Do you take a little too much pleasure in crushing that annoying mosquito? Science suggests you might want to examine that impulse. Or don’t. But if you ever find yourself eager to shove a bug into a grinder, maybe take a step back and question some life choices.
Did You Know?
- There’s a German word, “Schadenfreude,” that literally means enjoying someone else’s misfortune. Turns out, it might be more than just a fun concept—it could be a little psychopathic.
- In 2020, a study found that internet trolls score higher on sadism tests. So if someone enjoys making strangers miserable online, they might not just be a jerk—they could be wired for cruelty.
