<p>Taking joy in irritating others is unlikely to be classifiable as a personality disorder, however, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_triad" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dark Triad</a> describes individuals with disagreeable habits. In combination with other extremely adverse behaviours, it is perhaps classifiable as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Conduct disorder</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Narcissistic personality disorder</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-21T00:33:37.877Z
I see your point. The behavior itself may be part of a disorder and not a disorder in itself.  Is there a succinct term or word for this behavior?
tale852150
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-21T00:39:52.803Z
There are several words that may apply depending upon the extremity of the irritating behaviour.  Candidates may be irritate, torment, provoke, needle, infuriate, grate, annoy, bully, and aggravate.
Tony Mobbs
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-21T00:29:24.833Z
2021-04-21T00:29:24.833Z
Tony Mobbs
<p>I have noticed in my 50+ years of life that there are people who take joy (sometimes great joy) out of “getting under” another person’s skin.  Is there a clinical definition for this behavior?  Perhaps it is a personality disorder.</p>
<p>(There is a non-clinical way to describe such a person but civility restrains me).</p>
<p>I have noticed that people who exhibit this behavior seem to be looking for a reaction.  And by seeing a reaction to what they say, they see their control over another person.
It may also be the only way the person knows how to impress others (possibly due to low self-esteem).</p>
<p>I have searched the internet and all I have found so far is information on how to deal with such a person.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-19T17:31:05.027Z
See https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2374/not-all-observations-necessarily-need-a-term-in-psychology
Bryan Krause
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-19T18:25:29.703Z
Not sure what is meant by the comment.  The tags are correct.
tale852150
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-19T18:27:28.513Z
I voted to close as "not framed in psych/neuro"; just linking to a meta discussion about the issue and the reason for my vote.
Bryan Krause
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-19T18:32:25.950Z
How does one 'frame' such a post into the psych/neuro framework?
tale852150
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-19T18:45:02.960Z
See https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2277/why-was-my-question-closed-as-not-framed-in-psychology-or-neuroscience
Bryan Krause
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-22T21:52:22.503Z
@CouchIssuesTMClinicalCoachin But is your friend doing this “for fun” or “to irritate”.  To use an analogy, one person can push an old lady in front of an oncoming car and another person can push old lady away from oncoming car. They both push old ladies around but their intentions are different.
tale852150
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-23T11:49:07.653Z
Upon reading this, my brain instantly recalled a person with whom I used to work.  After about a year of working with him, I concluded his primary goal at work was to annoy others and to attempt to control them with this behaviour.  Although this was many years ago, your description is so spot on, a mental image of his face instantly popped into mind.
Amazon Dies In Darkness
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-23T12:01:14.827Z
@RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket Spot on!  That’s the character I’m taking about.
tale852150
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-25T22:55:10.513Z
@RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket [Machiavellianism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machiavellianism_(psychology)) is one of the three [Dark Triad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_triad) characteristics and seems to align with the manipulation/controlling characteristic.
Tony Mobbs
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-25T23:34:43.490Z
@TonyMobbs Thanks Tony.  The more I read about Machiavellianism, the more I recognize it in certain people.  Sometimes it's overt, but sometimes it is more subtle or masked by other behaviours.
Amazon Dies In Darkness
<personality><terminology>
Is there a clinical definition for the psychological disorder/personality disorder for people who like to get under people’s skin?
tale852150
# Is there a clinical definition for the psychological disorder/personality disorder for people who like to get under people’s skin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-04-19)

I have noticed in my 50+ years of life that there are people who take joy (sometimes great joy) out of “getting under” another person’s skin. Is there a clinical definition for this behavior? Perhaps it is a personality disorder.

(There is a non-clinical way to describe such a person but civility restrains me).

I have noticed that people who exhibit this behavior seem to be looking for a reaction. And by seeing a reaction to what they say, they see their control over another person.
It may also be the only way the person knows how to impress others (possibly due to low self-esteem).

I have searched the internet and all I have found so far is information on how to deal with such a person.

**Tags:** personality, terminology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: See https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2374/not-all-observations-necessarily-need-a-term-in-psychology  
> **username_0**: Not sure what is meant by the comment.  The tags are correct.  
> **username_1**: I voted to close as "not framed in psych/neuro"; just linking to a meta discussion about the issue and the reason for my vote.  
> **username_0**: How does one 'frame' such a post into the psych/neuro framework?  
> **username_1**: See https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2277/why-was-my-question-closed-as-not-framed-in-psychology-or-neuroscience  
> **username_0**: @CouchIssuesTMClinicalCoachin But is your friend doing this “for fun” or “to irritate”.  To use an analogy, one person can push an old lady in front of an oncoming car and another person can push old lady away from oncoming car. They both push old ladies around but their intentions are different.  
> **username_2**: Upon reading this, my brain instantly recalled a person with whom I used to work.  After about a year of working with him, I concluded his primary goal at work was to annoy others and to attempt to control them with this behaviour.  Although this was many years ago, your description is so spot on, a mental image of his face instantly popped into mind.  
> **username_0**: @RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket Spot on!  That’s the character I’m taking about.  
> **username_3**: @RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket [Machiavellianism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machiavellianism_(psychology)) is one of the three [Dark Triad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_triad) characteristics and seems to align with the manipulation/controlling characteristic.  
> **username_2**: @TonyMobbs Thanks Tony.  The more I read about Machiavellianism, the more I recognize it in certain people.  Sometimes it's overt, but sometimes it is more subtle or masked by other behaviours.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-04-21. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Taking joy in irritating others is unlikely to be classifiable as a personality disorder, however, the [Dark Triad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_triad) describes individuals with disagreeable habits. In combination with other extremely adverse behaviours, it is perhaps classifiable as [Conduct disorder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder) or [Narcissistic personality disorder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I see your point. The behavior itself may be part of a disorder and not a disorder in itself.  Is there a succinct term or word for this behavior?  
> **username_3**: There are several words that may apply depending upon the extremity of the irritating behaviour.  Candidates may be irritate, torment, provoke, needle, infuriate, grate, annoy, bully, and aggravate.  

---

