Reframing Thailand’s Social Fabric: Why Inequality and Corruption Shape Character—and What It Means for Thai Society
A groundbreaking study involving nearly 1.8 million people across 183 countries links harsh social conditions to the emergence of “dark” personality traits. For Thailand, the findings illuminate how social conditions influence trust, ethics, and community harmony rooted in Buddhist values of compassion and right conduct.
Researchers describe the Dark Factor of Personality as a general tendency toward selfishness, callousness, manipulation, and moral disengagement. This profile predicts dishonest and harmful behavior across situations, contrasting with the cooperative mindset central to Thai culture. A senior psychologist at a leading Bangkok university notes that such research helps explain how corruption and inequality erode traditional values. When exploitation becomes normalized, individuals may pursue self-serving strategies that conflict with Buddhist principles of care for others.