Sadly, some individuals take great pleasure in torturing, abusing, and demeaning other people. The term "sadism," which refers to this behavioural trait, comes from the Marquis de Sade, a French philosopher and author who coined the term.

The medical name for enjoying pleasure from witnessing others suffer or causing agony to others is sadism, sometimes known as daily sadism. Sadistic people like suffering others, and they look for ways to do so (Buckels et al., 2013). Only sadistic people, out of the four Dark Tetrad types, were found to be prepared to complete a tedious activity in order to have the chance to harm an innocent person, according to research conducted by the previous authors. Additionally, they discovered that sadism, a distinct trait of this type that contributes to the Dark Tetrad and conveys a hunger for cruelty, was an independent predictor of conduct.

They also found that sadism is an independent predictor of behaviour and mediates the desire for cruelty. This is this character's unique contribution to the Dark Tetrad.

In most cases, the propensity for sadism grows in late adolescence and is more prevalent in boys than in girls. Adults who experience high levels of sadism are far more likely to commit crimes, which also increases their risk for marital and occupational difficulties.

Developed by Professor Paulhus, D.L., the Various Sadistic Tendencies (VAST) Tests provide a quick assessment of the degree of sadistic tendencies on two scales.

Direct sadism - an aggressive tendency to cruelly treat, humiliate others, and restrict and control their freedom.

Vicarious sadism - the desire to see a person humiliated and experiencing physical or moral pain. In this case, the observer is not the initiator of such action. Find out how strong your sadistic tendencies are with this free online test.