How Good People Turn Evil Through Dark Psychology and Power

Imagine you’ve landed a job as a prison guard in a high-security prison. Now, although it’s just a job, this job also gives you power. There’s no one to hold you accountable, and you have complete control in this prison. You can treat the prisoners however you like. In such a situation, would you act like a normal person? 

Would you behave with the prisoners in a normal way, like you do with everyone else, or would the power change you?

The concept of The Lucifer Effect tells us that we humans often believe our identity is like a line carved in stone—unchanging. But that’s not true. Sometimes, identity is like writing in the sand—easily reshaped when dark psychological forces wash over it. This idea helps explain why a very good person can turn into a very bad one.

This article explores 11 powerful dark psychological hacks that are often used manipulatively—and how you can protect yourself from them.

Hack No. 1: The Illusion of Personal Control

The concept isn’t just theoretical. It was put to the test in the Stanford Prison Experiment conducted in 1971 by Philip Zimbardo. This experiment, planned for two weeks, had to be stopped in just six days due to its disturbing results.

A simulated prison was created at Stanford University. Twenty-four stable, psychologically sound students were selected and randomly assigned roles—some as guards, others as prisoners. Prisoners were arrested from their homes, blindfolded, stripped, given uniforms, and assigned numbers. Their identities were removed.

Guards received uniforms, dark sunglasses, and batons to create anonymity and a sense of authority.

On the first day, nothing happened. But by the second day, guards began displaying abusive behavior. Prisoners, just like them in age and background, were subjected to humiliating and cruel treatment. Some were forced to clean toilets with bare hands or strip naked. Emotional breakdowns began by the third day.

Zimbardo’s colleague Christina visited on day six and was appalled by the situation. Her ethical concerns led to the study being shut down.

Lesson: We often think we are in control of our behavior, but situations and roles can alter our decisions drastically. It’s an illusion of control.

Hack No. 2: Situational Influence

A powerful real-life example is the Andes Flight Disaster of 1972, where a plane carrying 45 passengers, including a rugby team, crashed in the Andes Mountains. Survivors were faced with freezing cold, little food, and no rescue in sight.

They began by eating chocolates. When hunger intensified, they made a chilling decision—cannibalism—to stay alive.

No one under normal conditions would say they could eat another human. But extreme situations can alter moral boundaries and force people into decisions they once found unimaginable.

Just like the prison guards, people change under pressure.

Hack No. 3: Role Play and Identity Shift

An extreme example of this was the My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War in 1968. American soldiers entered a village expecting to confront enemies. Instead, they found unarmed civilians—women, children, and the elderly.

Despite this, they obeyed implied orders and committed horrific atrocities. Many later said they were “just following orders.”

The truth is, titles and roles have the power to change how people behave. Soldiers lived up to their roles—no matter how violent that role became.

Hack No. 4: Dehumanization

During the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, around 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu people were slaughtered in 100 days. Political leaders and media referred to the Tutsis as “cockroaches” and “snakes,” constantly repeating these terms.

Gradually, the public began to believe these people were less than human, making violence against them seem justified.

Dehumanization allows cruelty.

It happens online too—anonymous users insult others under digital masks. People remove empathy when the “other” is no longer seen as human.

Hack No. 5: Group Thinking or Collective Blindness

In groups, our IQ often drops. You might have noticed large friend groups acting wild or insensitive. It can be harmless—or dangerous.

Consider the Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster in 1986. Engineers warned that O-rings could fail in the cold, but group pressure and a rushed schedule led to the fatal launch.

Seventy-three seconds after takeoff, the shuttle exploded, killing all seven astronauts.

When you’re in a group, remember: popular opinion isn’t always right. Stand firm even if you’re alone.

Hack No. 6: Labeling

Labeling starts early. If a child is repeatedly called “mischievous,” they might internalize that identity and act accordingly. Labels define self-perception.

On the other hand, if you call a child “brilliant” or “disciplined,” they often strive to meet that label.

But labeling can cause stress and fear of failure. We must use it responsibly—words can stick for life.

Hack No. 7: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

If you say “I will fail,” your mind starts believing it. Your body follows.

There’s a known case of a healthy man being asked repeatedly if he was okay. By the fourth or fifth person, he began feeling unwell, even though he wasn’t.

Negative predictions can create real negative outcomes. Flip the script—believe in positive possibilities.

Hack No. 8: Moral Disengagement

During the Iraq War, the Abu Ghraib prison scandal exposed American soldiers committing horrific abuses against prisoners.

These included beatings, torture, humiliation, and religious violations. Some prisoners were made to stand on boxes with wires attached, threatened with death.

The soldiers justified their actions, claiming “just following orders.”

Convincing yourself it’s “just a job” is dangerous. Moral disengagement lets people do evil without guilt.

Hack No. 9: The Bystander Effect

In 1964, Kitty Genovese was stabbed multiple times outside her apartment in New York. She screamed for help for 30 minutes. Thirty-eight people heard or saw it, yet no one helped.

Why? Everyone thought someone else would intervene.

The more people there are, the less responsible anyone feels.

If you ever need help, be specific: “You in the red shirt—please call the police.” Specific requests get results.

Hack No. 10: Moral Justification

During the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, women were tortured and executed under the belief that they were witches—all in the name of purifying society.

History shows people often justify horrific acts under noble causes. The Nazis used moral justification for the Holocaust.

Be cautious. Framing violence as “necessary” or “righteous” is a dangerous game.

Hack No. 11: Social Pressure and Conformity

In 2021, the Blackout Challenge on TikTok encouraged teens to choke themselves to unconsciousness. Some children died doing it—just for likes.

The need for social approval makes people do things that harm themselves or others.

If 100 people are doing something wrong, don’t be the 101st. 

Stay aware of these manipulations.

The Solution to Dark Psychology: Empathy

Every dark psychological concept shared above has one antidote—Empathy.

Empathy is being eroded by the violence we consume online—videos of death and destruction. It desensitizes us. That’s why you must protect your empathy.

Put yourself in others’ shoes. Feel what they feel. When empathy lives, darkness fades.

Final Thought: If You Had the Power…

If you were given unchecked power, what would you do?

Before understanding these dark psychological principles, many of us may have misused power unknowingly. But now that you know, use your awareness to stand against manipulation, not fall victim to it.

Let us not become villains in the pages of history. Let us act with empathy and rise above The Lucifer Effect.