The Dark Side of Storytelling

Storytelling is a fundamental human behavior with significant positive potential, but it can also be weaponized for manipulation, control, and societal division. This essay examines the dark side of storytelling through an extensive narrative literature review, tracing its historical roots—from the rhetorical techniques of ancient sophists to the propaganda of twentieth-century totalitarian regimes—and analyzing its modern manifestations, including fake news. Furthermore, the essay analyzes psychological characteristics of dangerous dark storytellers, individuals who exploit narratives for harmful purposes. Specifically, it explores links between manipulative storytelling and traits such as the Dark Triad (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy), authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, moral blindness, and histrionic personality disorder. Then it proposes a framework for future research to understand the psychological traits associated with “dark storytellers” and advocates for rhetoric education as a countermeasure against overwhelming misinformation across various media.