The Psychology of Dark Side Vs Light Side Players in Games

[DraydeRhionnan]

I should start by saying at the beginning that I'm a philosophy and religion major, which is what spawned this thought in my head. I wanted to have a discussion with some people on analyzing/understanding people who choose dark side vs people who choose light, as I feel it's not a random choice. It seems to actually have to do with personalities, insofar as I can see.

 

Let me start by saying that in games, I'm generally always the 'good guy'. In fact, taking 'evil' options tends to make me feel a little sick inside, and I get this awkward 'wrong' feeling that makes me not want to play. I've tried to do evil characters, but I just never enjoy it.

 

This isn't a judgment on DS players, but in looking at those who do I've noticed a few traits to form this thesis : People who play 'evil' characters on video games tend to do it on most/all the evil/good games they play, and tend to fit certain personality patterns.

 

In my experience, they -usually- are aggressive, type A personalities. They are often more competitive, and can also - especially at younger ages - be more abrasive. My best friend for many years fit this, and I can recall he would always play evil characters. There's other friends I know who are like this as well - and they all seem to share similar personality qualities.

 

Has anyone noticed this? What do any DS players think of this perception?

 

Addendum:

 

I'd also like to know from DS players - when you make 'evil' decisions, how do you feel about that internally? Again, the idea of enjoying doing the 'evil' thing feels so alien and..unnerving to me that I never find enjoyment out of it, so I suppose I'm genuinely curious what the thought process is, so I can understand.

 

Addendum 2:

 

After a lot of responses, I feel like I should clarify/respond to a few points.

 

First and most importantly, I want to state that I am NOT stating that people who are 'evil' in real life are 'evil' in games. As I stated in a post a little later, several members of my church staff play Dungeons and Dragons with the pastor as one of the DMs, and they like to play evil characters - and they're all wonderful people, good people. But they do share personality traits.

 

The point was not to say people share personality traits with 'evil' characters, but that they -might- share some personality traits with each other. A few people have gotten defensive and suggested that my claim is that 'bad people play bad characters'. That is not my point - simply that people who play evil characters may share some particular personality qualities.

 

Perhaps it was the word 'aggressive' that set people off - but I don't consider aggressiveness to be a negative thing, and I could be wrong altogether. Perhaps there's a personality link between DS players that they're shy, or non-aggressive in real life? All I'm proposing is the query that there may be a link - I just gave examples based on my perception.

 

And I might just be wrong about the whole thing altogether.

 

Second of all - I'm aware I don't have a large sample size for this, or a lot of research to backup my query. I'm not trying to write a massive paper or spend hours researching - I already have a lot on my plate as far as that is concerned. I'm writing based on personal experience, and what I've perceived, and inquiring what people think based on that hypothesis.

 

Third - As was suggested by someone, I'm not, to paraphrase, a 'Republican out to bash video games as evil.' Again, I'm not suggesting evil people play evil characters - I'm suggesting that there may be a commonality among people who tend to play evil characters, just as there might be among those who play good - and I don't think it has anything to do with whether a person is 'good' or 'bad' in real life. I'm actually a strong liberal, and I greatly enjoy video games of all types.

 

There are also people who suggested I need therapy because making 'evil' choices in games makes me feel awkward. Physically ill.. no, but uncomfortable, yes. I don't particularly believe I need therapy any more than I think anyone who plays DS needs therapy. It's just how I feel - perhaps I form connective links between my ethics and those of characters.

 

I've played muds since I was 15 - well over a decade now. For those who aren't aware, muds are text based games that were precursors to MMOs. Socials, emotes, and really much of the content of Everquest was based on mud systems. In these games, I rped a lot, but I could never really bring myself to play an 'evil' character. I tried, a couple times, but at the end of the day I always wanted to come to the rescue, rather than murder the innocent. I just can't bring myself to be 'evil' in games - and perhaps that's me personally, then, but it does make me naturally curious about the psychology of those who do, and what they think about.

 

I respect all of you, both DS and LS. Please don't take offense to this and suggest that I am condemning anyone, or judging people negatively - I'm certainly not.

Edited February 21, 2012 by DraydeRhionnan

[Wengchung]

I would agree to some extent.

 

I tend to perceive a stronger personal agreement to the dark side/empire minus the authoritarianism and senseless "bad guy" cruelty.

 

Individualism, competition, social Darwinism, hard logic over emotional bias, etc are all constituents of my general world-view.

[I_Sithed_MyPants]

If I wanted to see anything like this, I'd go to therapy

[Chaostie]

I play DS choices only on my main, that all pretty much fits me to a tee. But I am trying to go the "honorable" route on my Bounty Hunter, mostly because I think it's cooler.

 

However, you're a Philosophy / Religion major {what in the world kind of job are you going to be able to get with that?}, so I suggest finding a Psychology major to throw in their input. I've JUST started graduate Psychology, or I'd help you.

[Raughten]

I play evil characters because they generally look cooler and have a richer plot, than the Good-Guy characters. In real life, I'm a very easy going, gentle giant.

 

With most of my characters I make choices in a case by case basis.

 

I also feel the same sickness inside when I make evil choices, but I love the dark + twisted and plotlines that Darkside brings up.

 

 

I haven't played a Republic Character for this reason. I mean, how dark and twisted can their story-lines really be?

Edited February 21, 2012 by Raughten

[Seravie]

I play dark side on an alt to have fun, while my main is light side, because you know to have fun. See what each side has to offer.

[Enclone]

I'm a psych major in college atm, so I always find these kind of thread interesting. I'm a bit of the opposite of what you hypothesize though. (not trying to sound smart, I'm actually rather average in terms of GPA, but beside the point)

 

I tend to play the evil side before the good side in these kinds of games. I find them much more entertaining. It might be a bit sadistic, but I can't help but lol when you toss someone across the room like a rag doll with the force.

 

My friends and I were having this discussion a few weeks ago incidently. they said that I'm a bad person because I always pick the evil side. However, when it comes to real people, I'm nicer than the others. I don't just kick people without excuses or ditch them because I don't need them anymore. If I am working on my quest and they help me, I help them. I have no problem doing wicked things to something that is just coding, because It isn't a real person.

 

as far as personalitys go, I'm more of a type B personality.

People with Type B personalities are generally apathetic, patient, relaxed, easy-going, no sense of time schedule, and at times lacking an overriding sense of urgency. These individuals tend to be sensitive of other people's feelings

(I have to admit, I'm kind of oblivious at times too, so I don't always pick up on other people's feelings.)

 

Granted, there's no way to confirm whether anything I (or anyone else) say here is true. That's the problem with surveys and such. I would be surprised to see anyone admit to falling into the stereotype DS you are describing. I'd be interested in the results for sure. though I have a feeling it would be like the wow stereotype threads where every rogue says they're calm and collected, while they're jumping up and down and strafing back/forth even though you're stunned.

[archifikoss]

And what about those of us who play both?

 

BTW: I deleted my dark side agent at lvl 8, couldn't bring myself to continue, but am enjoying my dark side Inquisitor.

 

All my Republic characters and my Agent main are light, my Sith dark and my BH neutral.

[Wolfeisberg]

Well, I play Dark Side, and your description of player that play Dark Side doesn't even remotely describe. I'm playing this game simply for the storyline and the character progression, and to see the content. Me making dark side choices doesn't make me cringe at all, because I know it is just a game and it has no consequences at all and my choices have no effect on who I am in real life or have any effect on any other real life person. I simply want to see the content from different perspectives, nothing more. I will be playing this game with several different characters being light side, dark side, and even neutral just to see the different ways to play the content.

 

I played KOTOR 1 three times and KOTOR 2 nine times, and half of the play through were light and the other half was dark.

[DarthSabreth]

I should start by saying at the beginning that I'm a philosophy and religion major, which is what spawned this thought in my head. I wanted to have a discussion with some people on analyzing/understanding people who choose dark side vs people who choose light, as I feel it's not a random choice. It seems to actually have to do with personalities, insofar as I can see.

 

Let me start by saying that in games, I'm generally always the 'good guy'. In fact, taking 'evil' options tends to make me feel a little sick inside, and I get this awkward 'wrong' feeling that makes me not want to play. I've tried to do evil characters, but I just never enjoy it.

 

This isn't a judgment on DS players, but in looking at those who do I've noticed a few traits to form this thesis : People who play 'evil' characters on video games tend to do it on most/all the evil/good games they play, and tend to fit certain personality patterns.

 

In my experience, they -usually- are aggressive, type A personalities. They are often more competitive, and can also - especially at younger ages - be more abrasive. My best friend for many years fit this, and I can recall he would always play evil characters. There's other friends I know who are like this as well - and they all seem to share similar personality qualities.

 

Has anyone noticed this? What do any DS players think of this perception?

 

Addendum:

 

I'd also like to know from DS players - when you make 'evil' decisions, how do you feel about that internally? Again, the idea of enjoying doing the 'evil' thing feels so alien and..unnerving to me that I never find enjoyment out of it, so I suppose I'm genuinely curious what the thought process is, so I can understand.

 

or perhaps those that RP DS are just doing that RPing. i highly doubt that any one that rolls DS are violent agressive people.

[killabri]

I myself tend to be light side characters in these games because in real life - for better or worse - I always want to help others whenever I can and try and do some good for someone each day. It's a lifestyle I try and lead, and invariably the light side choices in these games involve doing some variation of that. Whenever I make a character, as part of the immersion effect, I always try and think "What kind of person would I want to be in this world? What would I want to be known for?" So, as a result, I usually end up heavily on the light side... that is NOT to say, however, that I don't opportunistically poach a few dark side choices when it avoids conflict or gives me more options to handle something. I got out of plenty of nasty fights in KOTOR that way, and Kreia was constantly proud of those efforts.

 

My best friend in this world though goes the exact opposite way. In real life he's a very pleasant, happy individual who loves his life. He's friendly and easy to get along with, but whenever he gets into a video game where morality plays any aspect he unleashes his inner a-hole. He's told me before that being a total jerk to everyone constantly is something that he can't do in real life (obviously) so he gets great enjoyment out of doing it in a video game. So maybe that's a part of it... those that have always wanted to be huge, selfish jerks and face absolutely no consequences have found their release in a morality driven video game lol.

[Jaymanus]

Me making dark side choices doesn't make me cringe at all, because I know it is just a game and it has no consequences at all and my choices have no effect on who I am in real life or have any effect on any other real life person. I simply want to see the content from different perspectives, nothing more. I will be playing this game with several different characters being light side, dark side, and even neutral just to see the different ways to play the content.

 

I agree, when I make a choice to kill someone in game why would I feel bad about that? They are not real and have no feelings. I find it strange when people say the choices I make in game reflect my personalty in someway. Its called Role Playing, its like acting, when an actor in a movie kills someone does that mean that actor subconsciously wants to kill someone? No, he is playing a character, just like when I play a DS or LS toon I am playing a character, making choices as I feel THAT character would, not me.

 

I tend to play an equal amount of 'good', 'evil' and 'neutral' type characters and play them as I feel the character I have created would act, not how I would act in that same situation.

 

Not to say that some people don't subconsciously play a character the way they want to be, but you can't lump everyone in to that group, because then you start to sound like the people who think anyone who plays an FPS game wants to kill everyone (I realize this is the extreme, but it stems from the same thought process).

[cybergina]

i picked dark side just to get the red color crystal. if it werent for that i wouldve gone with almost all light side choices.

[sockrocker]

I'm currently playing a LS Bounty Hunter as a main and a DS Inquisitor alt, and have no trouble picking DS options because to me, my toon is simply a character in a story.

[DraydeRhionnan]

I'd like to note, since I sense a small amount of defensiveness on this..

 

I wasn't trying to say that people who play DS characters are bad, negative, cruel, or any such thing in real life.

 

My curiosity is whether there is simply a personality type of individuals that's somewhat identifiable and can be linked to whether or not people prefer DS or LS characters in these sorts of games. I wasn't trying to make a direct inference between 'bad people' and 'evil characters', and suggest such players are wicked in real life. Several of the staff at my church play Dungeons and Dragons, with one of the pastors being the DM, and they like to play evil characters - and they're all wonderful people.

 

But they're also very competitive, leadership types with strong personalities. So I was curious if there was any sort of link between types.

 

I've seen some interesting comments so far, though nothing I can reply to specifically, save to say that I'm not judging anyone - I'm just rationally curious about any connective links.

 

Perhaps it's something unique to me, or a few others - I can't really separate my own ethics from the actions of my characters. Of course I'm aware it's a video game, and that none of it's real, but telling myself that doesn't allow me to feel any less.. awkward.. when I try and play a character who does something I would consider ethically horrible in real life.

 

Perhaps somewhat related, though it may not seem it - I hate the Saw movies.. or at least the first one, as I never saw the others. Even knowing what I'm seeing is fake, taking enjoyment in watching people suffer in horrible ways just makes me ill.

 

So again - I'm not making any sort of 'negative-negative' link here. I'm just curious if there's a relationship between -some type- of personality trait and the choice to play 'evil' characters in games.

[terminova]

I should start by saying at the beginning that I'm a philosophy and religion major, which is what spawned this thought in my head. I wanted to have a discussion with some people on analyzing/understanding people who choose dark side vs people who choose light, as I feel it's not a random choice. It seems to actually have to do with personalities, insofar as I can see.

 

It doesn't have to do with personalities, it has to do with how you want to play your character. Your character != you

[Aethyriel]

I doubt you can really make out a pattern or tie in game behaviour to real life personality (traits). While your statement would sound about right to most people those who think a little bit about it quickly realize it's simply not that true and maybe covers a few hardliners here and there. For the most part I think it basically is about the setting. If you play empire you have more reasons to be dark side most of the time than LS, for example:

 

- Sith in general (in the game) are really evil, you see, you react, simple.

- If not playing a Sith character you get treated srsly bad most of the time, pisses people off, feeling the need for revenge/vent frustration (of course nobody is srsly upset by a game unless there are other srs problems at hand but you get it...).

- Playing evil gets you more points most of the time, the effect of affection gained due to choices impacts behaviour as well.

- Lorewise, following in the footsteps of the "great" Sith, you don't have a choice but to play really evil.

- Acceptance might also play a part in this, social standarts (well, in the video game, empire side at least )

- Simply doing things you wouldn't normally do... same reason people watch srsly weird pr0n.

 

These are a few examples, but basically the imperial side just tends to build your character more towards going the evil route... many quests are evil by nature, it's "hard" to play a good person when all you do is say "well, if it must be done, but I don't like it" before slaughtering some refugees it doesn't quite feel right. that is somewhat BWs fault for offering too few options for LS players on the imperial side to stay true to character.

 

I also always play mostly Light Side, sometimes DS choices are just better (I especially experienced this on my IA), but it really takes a lot of redoing conversations as an imperial to not accidentally give an answer like "I will bath in their blood and eatz they babies", huge flaw there by BW to simply not think about or care about LS players on the empire side, even going all LS on my warrior for the most part with the occasional DS choice, all the things I had to (!) do were mostly evil, there were just no options for being somewhat good... maybe that's why most people just go with the flow so to say.

 

That all being said, I've noticed that most couples or a mom/dad tend to play all DS while being very loving, caring and understanding parents to their 2-3 kids (There are some in my guild at least)... like I said... vent frustration

[redsovereign]

I should start by saying at the beginning that I'm a philosophy and religion major, which is what spawned this thought in my head. I wanted to have a discussion with some people on analyzing/understanding people who choose dark side vs people who choose light, as I feel it's not a random choice. It seems to actually have to do with personalities, insofar as I can see.

 

Let me start by saying that in games, I'm generally always the 'good guy'. In fact, taking 'evil' options tends to make me feel a little sick inside, and I get this awkward 'wrong' feeling that makes me not want to play. I've tried to do evil characters, but I just never enjoy it.

 

This isn't a judgment on DS players, but in looking at those who do I've noticed a few traits to form this thesis : People who play 'evil' characters on video games tend to do it on most/all the evil/good games they play, and tend to fit certain personality patterns.

 

In my experience, they -usually- are aggressive, type A personalities. They are often more competitive, and can also - especially at younger ages - be more abrasive. My best friend for many years fit this, and I can recall he would always play evil characters. There's other friends I know who are like this as well - and they all seem to share similar personality qualities.

 

Has anyone noticed this? What do any DS players think of this perception?

 

Addendum:

 

I'd also like to know from DS players - when you make 'evil' decisions, how do you feel about that internally? Again, the idea of enjoying doing the 'evil' thing feels so alien and..unnerving to me that I never find enjoyment out of it, so I suppose I'm genuinely curious what the thought process is, so I can understand.

 

I don't agree with you 100% here. You don't take people that always play a neutral alignment into account. To expand on this I personally alwasy use alignment to define a characters personality.

Whether I use DS or LS choices seem to have nothing to do with me as a person in reality but the character that I try to portrait in the game what I can add to though is that I find that I usually play women as evil and men as good, myself being a guy IRL.

 

This has nothing to do with "that I think women is evil bla bla" but that I live with the opinion that women is too badly represented in powerful positions that is above men in the hierarchy. Not only that but design wise women in games tend to be stupididetly (hope that is a real word) drawn. The only 2 modern games where they made women realistic is Skyrim and Mass Effect.

To "balance" my grief about this BS society we live in IRL where you talk about traits based on gender I've always used games to create a society where choices doesn't come with the thing you have between your legs, but rather your personality. I'm really tired of the real worlds portraying of ppl in general and how simple and uncomplex ppl around me is just walking around their daily life not questioning anything at all. They just accept thigns that's atrocius to say the least. Also I play characters with all kinds of ethnicities and body types.

 

/rant off

 

But to go back to your question; I think that games can be a plane of freedom for a lot of players. Our real society is so controlled by rules, morals and ethics often instituted by the elder genders that games like Mass Effect and TOR is the only frontier we have left were we can be allowed to break the rules without consequences in real life. I don't think that real life personalites really have that much impact on what alignment you choose ina game. TOR is based on old D&D games like Baldurs Gate etc where alignments gave cons and pros which was interesting to play around with and based on which alignment you choosed your world was shaped in different ways.

 

There's also those who are shy and uncomfortable IRL who can find empowerment and appreciation in a world where they are being treated special and with respect which they might not be in the real life. We have always used fiction to escape the real life for different reasons.

 

This might be a little far fetched but this is what I believe. In this type of RPG your choices really never impact the world. Even if my Sith Lord would kill off all republic characters in her main story, that would never leave and impact on the game for other players it only leaves an impact on her own progression and that's what differ the "simplesness" of ME and TOR from the real life. Your actions only have consecuences in your own world, it doesn't affect the world as whole and therefor you are allowed to break the rules or follow them as u see fit. You have the power to shape the reality you live in and that is something that just a handful of people have IRL. That's real power and at the same time you can't destroy the whole world which is a relief in it's own. In short it's a game and it never become anything greater then a game.

 

 

Sorry for bad English as it's not my native language.

 

EDit: you also have to take roleplayers into account because roleplaying is about leaving your IRL person out of a characters development. If I play a Dark Elf some traits comes with that choice like often being sarcastic, twisted and selfish. You could probably extend this question of yours and ask actors why some of them often play evil characters on film (though that mostly has to do with appearances).

 

Evil - Good is not black and white, the problem is that the society IRL try to portray Good-Evil as such. No person is 100% good or 100% bad. We are often a mix between both alignments and that what makes us human. It's impossible to live 100% by the jedi code and it's impossible to live 100% by the sith code because ppl are individuals and we are not that simple minded because we think and reflect over things. Good and Evil in fiction is just a old way to portray a character and make the audience quickly understand what type of character it is, you can't take fiction aligment to the real world because in the real world there is no person that is like The Empire or Darth Vader or Yoda. Noman Carr is one of the more realistic persons in TOR since he falls back to the dark side in a desperate attempt to protect his padawan. The only way to defeat the sith is for him to try to be stronger and that's what makes him a believable character. You can't defeat powerful evildoers with winning over them using "the holy light" only way to defeat a strong person is to be even stronger and that BS about "faith is stronger" is just lame and naive.

 

Nomen Carr ftw!

Edited February 21, 2012 by redsovereign

[Shaz]

In Real Life, I am hearts and rainbows and saccharine sweetness (sometimes too much so), but more or less follow the D&D 'Chaotic Good' alignment. I wear my heart on my sleeve, I can't bear to see anyone hurt, I do anything for my friends, yadda yadda. In many RPGs, I have my first playthrough as 'true to life', so I wind up being good... and then the second playthrough, I go for evil, to see what those choices would be like.

 

In this game, I am joyously Dark Side, and I had planned it that way for years. Why? Because I'm not hurting actual people, and I get to stretch my imagination and do things I would NEVER actually do. I also like the 'There is no peace, only passion' line far more than the 'There is no emotion, only peace' line. Even so, there are some choices I have to seriously debate with myself as to if I'm really comfortable doing so... but I always follow what I think my character would actually do, given the beliefs/morals I have decided she has.

 

Now, my Dark Side characters aren't pure DS. I decide 'ok my Sith is manipulative, plotting and planning and meticulous but...not murder-death-kill', which means she gets rather a lot of LS points. And my lone LS girl, my Bounty Hunter, 'follows her code' which gets her some DS points, too.

 

 

However, I don't believe that playing a Dark Side character gives the the right to be a complete and utter <expletive deleted> to other players and do complete and utter <expletives deleted> actions towards them. Even if that other player is Light Side. Because in many situations, it's not character vs. character, affecting only the characters themselves, it's player vs. player, with the intent of making the other PLAYER miserable/angry/upset... which is completely different.

 

And someone who wants to be an <expletives deleted>, or actually considers that a LIFE GOAL? I don't want to interact with one, I don't want to be friends with one, and I definitely don't want to be one.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Shaz

[well]

I play light on both sides.In real life I am a evil S.O.B. so this is role playing at it's best.

[OddballEasyEight]

In my experience, they -usually- are aggressive, type A personalities. They are often more competitive, and can also - especially at younger ages - be more abrasive. My best friend for many years fit this, and I can recall he would always play evil characters. There's other friends I know who are like this as well - and they all seem to share similar personality qualities.

 

Not true... i have a friend who is exactly like that, very aggressive, must always win every argument and will resort to very dubious tactics just to win the argument (no matter what its about).

He also has power-hungry tendencies and doesnt mind screwing others over if he can profit from it somehow (as long as theyre not his friends).

 

 

but in games, he always plays the good guy, he just cant bring himself to play a bad guy...

 

Me on the other hand, i would rather walk away from an argument instead of trying to win it, im not even slightly competetive (in fact i prefer helping others win), i always help people i know when they ask for help, and i never want anything in return for it.

 

But in games, i tend to play evil bastards. For several reasons... First off, im easily bored and if someone is giving me a long-winded goodie-twoshoes speech ill most likely get annoyed and rage on them a bit. Secondly, i find that evil characters are much more interesting to play than a good guy... you can only be good in one way, but you can be evil in a thousand different ways

And lastly, i play evil characters because good guys tend to have the cheesiest dialogue and story in games... seriously, you dont have to be a monk with glitter and fairy-wings to be a good guy.

 

oh and just for the record, im playing a bounty hunter that hates the empire because theyre petty, squabbling little children that dont value life and have no moral codes.

She is a mandalorian.

[Uvirith]

Oh great, another philosophystudent trying to analyze the minds of the gaming community.

 

philosophy and religion huh? was PE and arts not available?

[mandrillagon]

Certain dark side missions such as "Quiet Kill" remind me of the joys in playing sith.

 

 

You don't have to kill Kelara of course but most of us probably had the satisfaction of doing so for her unfaithfulness to not only her husband, but more importantly... to the empire.

 

[Naserick]

I have played both empire and republic.

 

On empire it's really easy to be evil when over half your in game companions favor dark actions. Not to mention that the whole atmosphere seems to favor darker options over light options (example being societal acceptance of brutality over compassion).

 

On the republic, especially while playing a jedi, It's the opposite of the empire. Light side options are accepted more easily than darker ones and your companions dislike your dark side options more times than not.

 

I would say that most people tend to conform to the "expected" behavior of their chosen class. So I would say that simply playing dark side wouldn't be a good measure of a persons personality type in game.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Naserick

[ACLucius]

Honestly, I think you are generalizing a large group of people in a way that just doesn't prove true, nor does it make sense to try. First, people on both sides seem to be pretty nice people, but they go with either choice for reasons other than relating to their own personalities. There are many reasons to go light or dark side. The problem though with generalizing is that you cannot possibly know what a persons real personality is like unless you know them personally and in real life.

 

The simple fact that we are all on the internet, a community of faceless people shrouded behind a veil of anonymity, means that it is more than likely not the real person you speak with on the other side of that avatar. The person you are speaking to is most likely someone suffering from deindividuation. Since you are a philosophy major, I assume you know what this is as it was covered in a 101 class I took in philosophy. On the off chance you don't though, or for the sake of others, I'll explain.

 

Deindividuation is what you experience when you are an unknown person, who is within a group of people, and you follow the crowd. I know I am making that more complicated than it needs to be, so I'll just use an example to explain what I mean by that. Imagine if you are standing in a group of people at the bottom of a building. On top of that building, there is a man threatening to jump off and commit suicide. Someone in the crowd then starts yelling, "JUMP!" Suddenly, several people are doing the same. Then, you find you are doing it as well. After the man finally jumps, you realize what happened and do not understand why.

 

You started yelling too because of deindividuation. You literally lost your sense of individuality and went with the crowd. You are not truly at fault for this, you simply were pulled in by the momentum. A great example of this which many people have heard of is the Stanford Prison Experiment. This happens on the individual level though as well. Another experiment which has been performed was where a person was brought in to a room with a hood on and in the dark behind glass. There were two people on the other side of the glass, both actors. The person with the hood would have two switches, which would shock one of the actors. It didn't actually shock them, but they pretended to be shocked. In many cases, the person under the hood would shock the one they felt to be the more "evil" of the two, as the actors would act as either bad or good. However, many also would shock the good one more often. This was not because the person was bad or had any specific personality type, it was simply because they could get away with it.

 

We experience this daily in the forums through others. There are threads screaming about others stealing drops in flash points. The person who is rolling need on these items isn't necessarily a bad person, but because he/she is anonymous, these actions kick start. If this person and you were in the forest and lost, with one cantina of water between you, would this person share the water or keep it? Most likely, he/she would share it. There is a face you can see on this person, he/she knows you can see, and therefore the public face comes out. Take the same person, throw a mask on, and you might get the exact opposite.

 

You have seen the movies where an executioner will have a mask on? It's so the person being killed cannot see them right? Yep, but it also allows that person to lose his or her individuality.

 

So, people aren't choosing dark side (most of the time) because they are a certain personality type. Of course I can't say that for all people, but I can say for certain that between my friends (real life) and I, we are all good people, all type B passive and empathic people, but we still like to go dark side on some of our characters. Personally, I just like to see what kind of bumps go in the story for certain options. I like story, and I want to experience all each of these have to offer. If that means I must kill some virtual man or shoot his wife for cheating on him and a Republic dog spy, then so be it!

 

I think though that people are just trying to experience the story of each character the way they imagine that story would go. We all know Revan was a man, but sometimes you want to make him a female just to see how things go with Carth.

 

tldr; Read this wall of text instead, as it is much more entertaining and easier to understand than my wall-o-text pile of ****.