The Dark Mirror Index
Edition No. 188 · daily
Updated
Sample 11,076 takes+44 since yesterdaySince 4 April 2026 · 6 axes · 20 items48 regions with 30+ takes

/dark-mirror-index/where

The darkest cities, by who looked.

48 regions have 30 or more takers. Below, each is ranked by the share of its takers who score high on a dark axis. Region is the browser timezone, so "New York" means Eastern-time takers rather than the five boroughs, and a region is a portrait of who there chose to look, not of the place.

On the psychopathic axis the regions run from 0% to 12% scoring high, against 2% overall, and at these sample sizes the intervals overlap: no region can honestly be called the leader yet. Positions below are only given to regions with 100+ takes, and regions whose intervals overlap share one.

Psychopathic: share scoring high

the axis
  1. 01=Bucharestn 1346%3 to 11%
  2. 01=Kolkatan 1625%3 to 9%
  3. 01=Denvern 2065%3 to 9%
  4. 01=Stockholmn 1344%2 to 8%
  5. 01=Warsawn 1624%2 to 8%
  6. 01=Vancouvern 1124%1 to 9%
  7. 01=Elsewhere in Europen 3443%2 to 6%
  8. 01=Madridn 1303%1 to 8%
  9. 01=Toronton 2933%2 to 6%
  10. 01=Elsewhere in Asian 1453%1 to 7%
  11. 01=Chicagon 9343%2 to 4%
  12. 01=Romen 1603%1 to 6%

Sociopathic: share scoring high

the axis
  1. 01=Bucharestn 1341%0 to 4%
  2. 01=Toronton 2931%0 to 2%
  3. 01=Londonn 1,7880%0 to 1%
  4. 01=Chicagon 9340%0 to 1%
  5. 01=New Yorkn 1,5250%0 to 0%
  6. 01=Los Angelesn 7480%0 to 1%
  7. 01=Berlinn 4110%0 to 1%
  8. 01=Elsewhere in the Americasn 3940%0 to 1%
  9. 01=Elsewhere in Europen 3440%0 to 1%
  10. 01=Sydneyn 3260%0 to 1%
  11. 01=Amsterdamn 2510%0 to 2%
  12. 01=Denvern 2060%0 to 2%

Narcissistic: share scoring high

the axis
  1. 01=Londonn 1,7880%0 to 0%
  2. 01=New Yorkn 1,5250%0 to 0%
  3. 01=Chicagon 9340%0 to 0%
  4. 01=Los Angelesn 7480%0 to 1%
  5. 01=Berlinn 4110%0 to 1%
  6. 01=Elsewhere in the Americasn 3940%0 to 1%
  7. 01=Elsewhere in Europen 3440%0 to 1%
  8. 01=Sydneyn 3260%0 to 1%
  9. 01=Toronton 2930%0 to 1%
  10. 01=Amsterdamn 2510%0 to 2%
  11. 01=Denvern 2060%0 to 2%
  12. 01=Brisbanen 1950%0 to 2%

Borderline: share scoring high

the axis
  1. 01=Kolkatan 1621%0 to 4%
  2. 01=Denvern 2061%0 to 3%
  3. 01=Aucklandn 1211%0 to 5%
  4. 01=Londonn 1,7881%0 to 1%
  5. 01=Melbournen 1491%0 to 4%
  6. 01=Warsawn 1621%0 to 3%
  7. 01=Los Angelesn 7481%0 to 1%
  8. 01=Amsterdamn 2510%0 to 2%
  9. 01=New Yorkn 1,5250%0 to 1%
  10. 01=Toronton 2930%0 to 2%
  11. 01=Chicagon 9340%0 to 1%
  12. 01=Elsewhere in Europen 3440%0 to 2%

By country

Country is read from the connecting address at take time, from 2 September 2026. Countries with 30 or more takers get a page; those with 100 or more are ranked on it. Each is a portrait of who there chose to look.

  1. Turkeyn 356% high2 to 19%
  2. Philippinesn 313% high1 to 16%
  3. Belgiumn 333% high1 to 15%
  4. Polandn 713% high1 to 10%
  5. South African 462% high0 to 11%
  6. Norwayn 522% high0 to 10%
  7. Romanian 522% high0 to 10%
  8. New Zealandn 681% high0 to 8%
  9. Spainn 681% high0 to 8%
  10. Germanyn 1871% high0 to 4%
  11. United Statesn 1,8641% high0 to 1%
  12. Australian 4030% high0 to 2%
  13. Canadan 2990% high0 to 2%
  14. United Kingdomn 9310% high0 to 1%
  15. Netherlandsn 1380% high0 to 3%
  16. Italyn 680% high0 to 5%
  17. Swedenn 620% high0 to 6%
  18. Francen 610% high0 to 6%
  19. Indian 540% high0 to 7%
  20. Finlandn 480% high0 to 7%
  21. Irelandn 470% high0 to 8%
  22. Denmarkn 350% high0 to 10%
  23. Switzerlandn 320% high0 to 11%
  24. Greecen 320% high0 to 11%
  25. Braziln 310% high0 to 11%

Regions under 30 takes are held back until they can say something; regions under 100 are listed but not ranked, and an "=" marks a shared position where the 95% intervals overlap. Shares are of takers in that timezone who took this quiz; nothing here estimates a city's population.

Add your city to the count.

Seven minutes, twenty scenarios, then your band and percentile on every axis against everyone above.

Take the Dark Mirror
Your numberTake the Dark Mirror, seven minutes, and see where you land on this curveThe long readDark psychology, the beginner's guideThe bookThe Sociopathic Dating Bible, the instrument this quiz grew out of

Method

The Dark Mirror is a 20-item scenario quiz. Each answer is attributed to one of six axes; a score is the share of your answers that fell to that axis, so scores move in steps of five. Your type is simply your highest axis.

Baseline
0 to 15
Present, not a feature.
Traits
20 to 35
Recognisable and common. Not the person.
Pronounced
40 to 55
The axis is shaping choices.
High
60 to 100
Dominant. The only band to read as the type.

Every axis is read in four bands: baseline (0 to 15), traits (20 to 35), pronounced (40 to 55) and high (60 to 100). Bands are fixed cut points chosen so that high means at least twelve of twenty answers went to one axis. They are the Index's reading aid, not clinical thresholds.

Percentiles are computed against everyone who has taken the quiz and recomputed daily at 09:41 UTC; each recomputation is an edition. Ties are split down the middle: higher than 91% means 91% of takers scored strictly lower, plus half of those who tied.

Regions are browser timezones, so New York means Eastern-time takers rather than the five boroughs; regions with fewer than thirty takes are held back. Nothing here is a population estimate and nothing here is a diagnosis.

Written and read by Kanika Batra, diagnosed ASPD, clinically assessed as Factor 1 psychopathy. An audience portrait, not a census.

The full method, exclusions, reliability and how to cite
The Darkest Cities: Where Dark Mirror Scores Run Highest (Live)