If Someone Is A Bad Person At Heart, These 11 Behaviors Come Naturally
PeopleImages | Shutterstock The true nature of an "evil" or "bad" person is nuanced and somewhat unknown, according to a study from Central Washington University, but can be explained through a range of environmental influences and personality traits. If someone is a bad person at heart, certain behaviors come naturally, but that doesn't mean that anyone who occasionally falls into patterns of using these is inherently bad.
Often, it's the intention behind them — to actively hurt or manipulate others — that is the root of cruelty and badness. From lacking remorse when they harm people to actively seeking out situations where they can take advantage of another person's weakness, people who are bad at heart miss out on the empathy that defines goodness. They may have the kind of emotional intelligence needed to be empathetic, but misuse it for all the worst things.
If someone is a bad person at heart, these 11 behaviors come naturally
1. They take pleasure in other people's hurt
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Whether it's not getting a job, losing something or someone, or struggling with mental health, if someone is a truly bad person at heart, they'll find joy in another person's remorse or struggle. Especially if another person breaking down serves their own self-image and attention, they're not afraid to actively celebrate another person's misfortune.
Especially for narcissistic people who are always thinking about their own self-image and seeking status, according to psychiatrist Grant Hilary Brenner, harming others may be a small price to pay to cope with their deep feelings of inadequacy through external validation and attention.
2. They overstep boundaries with intention
If someone oversteps your boundaries once, you may be able to chalk it up to ignorance or confusion. But if someone continues to intentionally overstep your boundaries, they're not only disrespecting you, they're reminding you that they care more about their own convenience than your well-being.
If someone is a bad person at heart, these behaviors come naturally. Whether it's showing up unannounced, talking negatively behind your back, or holding you to unrealistic expectations, if someone oversteps your clearly defined boundaries, it's a sign that they don't care about you.
3. They refuse to be remorseful
When they hurt someone else, whether it was intentional or not, a person who is bad at heart will often completely avoid taking accountability or feigning a sense of remorse for their actions.
They're not in touch with their feelings and don't typically have the capacity for empathy — to place themselves in another person's shoes — so it's no surprise that accountability isn't in their wheelhouse. They prefer to protect their self-image, even at the expense of relationships and another person's well-being.
4. They lie all the time
Even if it's entirely unnecessary and unwarranted, if someone is a bad person at heart, lying all the time comes naturally to them. From little white lies in their relationships to huge betrayals that sabotage trust in relationships, they don't mind deceiving other people if it means upholding a certain narrative or image about themselves.
While it may offer them a sense of authority, security, and control in their lives, professor Dr. Bill Sullivan argues that constantly lying can often have poor implications for personal health and well-being. So, not only are they harming other people and breaking down trust in their social lives, they're harming their personal bodies, minds, and longevity.
5. They don't follow any rules
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While not everyone who learns to be entitled is an inherently bad person, if someone is actively taking advantage of others without remorse or reflection, it could be a sign that they're a truly bad person.
They feel a higher sense of superiority and "deservingness" than others, which leads them to take advantage of people's time, resources, and well-being for their own sake. From not following rules to constantly overstepping people's boundaries, they care more about themselves than anyone.
6. They exploit people's trust
Many manipulators and bad people aren't afraid to play the long game. They'll build a relationship, put on a facade, do nice things to build trust, and then quickly weaponize that relationship for their own gain.
Whether it's getting to know someone to take advantage of their weaknesses or working to isolate them from the people that actually care, they're not afraid to ruin someone else's life and well-being for their own sake. Exploiting trust is one thing — doing it intentionally and consistently is another.
7. They weaponize other people's vulnerabilities
Emotionally manipulative people often feed on other's weaknesses and weaponize their vulnerabilities to get what they want. Even if it's the people they're supposed to support and care for the most in their lives, like their family, they lean on weak spots to make people feel guilty and ashamed.
Whether it's recognizing that someone doesn't have any friends or latching onto their insecurities, they find ways to take advantage by leveraging the dark side of their emotional and social intelligence.
8. They punish people emotionally
Whether it's upholding toxic transactional relationships that urge people to prove themselves worthy of love and attention or punishing people emotionally when they don't conform to their every need, if someone is a bad person at heart, these behaviors come naturally.
They'd prefer to protect their own comfort and convenience, even if it means manipulating, guilt-tripping, and shaming other people into doing what they want.
9. They feel pride in deceiving others
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Even if it seems like an incredibly intentional and evil behavior, people who lean on deception may have nuanced reasons for developing the habit, as a study from Philosophical Transactions explains. In fact, some young adults and kids even start expressing false information to people at the same time as the truth, so just because someone lies or deceives doesn't necessarily mean they're inherently bad.
However, if someone takes pride in actively and intentionally deceiving others, that could be a sign that they're a bad person at heart. They don't mind harming other people and breaking down trust, especially if it offers them something in return.
10. They feel no guilt about manipulating people
According to a study from European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, people with psychopathic personality traits often only feel guilt and shame over internalizing problems — things like self-esteem and low self-worth that motivate their misguided behaviors — rather than external ones like shifting blame and hurting others.
They feel no guilt about manipulating people, even if the root of these behaviors stems from a lack of self-worth internally. So, if someone is a bad person at heart, they don't just avoid expressing remorse — they often don't feel it at all on the inside.
11. They harm others without reflecting
The "good side" of emotional intelligence that often predicts empathy and self-reflection in healthy, happy people is something that someone bad at heart lacks.
Not only do they actively harm people and engage in cruel behaviors, but they rarely, and sometimes never, reflect on the harm they cause in their own time. In some cases, they may even feel a sense of pride about their control over others.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
