When Temperament Turns Toxic: A 7MTF Analysis of Bettina Arndt’s “Female Psychopaths Poisoning Workplaces”

Introduction

Bettina Arndt’s “Female Psychopaths Poisoning Workplaces” is a provocative challenge to the long-standing feminist belief that women leaders naturally create kinder, more collaborative workplaces. Drawing on Dr Fiona Girkin’s research into female psychopathy, Arndt argues that “mean girls” — manipulative and emotionally aggressive women in positions of power — are causing widespread distress, particularly to other women.

Viewed through the 7MTF (Seven Motivational Temperament Framework), her argument transcends gender politics. It becomes an exploration of temperament imbalance — how dominance, emotional volatility, and lack of empathy combine to poison organisational cultures.

Arndt’s Temperament Profile

Arndt’s writing is driven by a strong Politician temperament — bold, outspoken, and morally certain. She positions herself as a truth-teller, confronting hypocrisy with phrases like “feminist protection racket” and “vile behaviour.”

Supporting this is her GoGetter drive for achievement and measurable results, along with an Engineer streak that values data and logical justification. Her reliance on inquiry findings, workplace studies, and real-world cases demonstrates the Engineer’s need for evidence.

Together, these temperaments produce a distinctive voice: assertive, fact-based, and unapologetically combative — the hallmark of a Politician motivated by conviction.

The “Female Psychopath” Archetype

The women Arndt and Girkin describe — charismatic but callous, confident but cruel — display a pathological mix of Politician and Mover temperaments.

• Politician distortion: Seeks dominance and admiration without empathy.
• Mover distortion: Uses charm, gossip, and emotional manipulation to destabilise others.
• Absence of Doublechecker traits: No guilt, loyalty, or remorse to moderate behaviour.
• Low Regulator
• High Go-Getter

This blend creates leaders who control through fear and emotional gamesmanship rather than competence or collaboration.

Victims, Enablers, and Perpetrators

Arndt’s examples fit predictable 7MTF patterns:

• Victims: Doublecheckers (security-driven, loyal) and Socialisers (relationship-driven, friendly) suffer most from relational aggression. Their emotional needs for safety and inclusion make them vulnerable to exclusion, gossip, and public humiliation.
• Enablers: GoGetters and Engineers may overlook such behaviour if performance metrics or appearances remain intact.
• Perpetrators: Politicians and Movers dominate visibility-based hierarchies, turning charisma into coercion when unchecked by empathy.

Thus, Arndt’s claim that women themselves are the primary victims aligns with the 7MTF understanding of temperament vulnerability.

Emotional Appeal and Audience

Though written from a Politician stance, Arndt’s message resonates with Doublecheckers — readers who feel betrayed or silenced by institutional denial. Her call to “name the problem” gives them both validation and protection. This leader–follower dynamic — Politician advocacy for Doublechecker anxiety — explains her strong following among those disillusioned with the feminist mainstream.

Temperament of Institutions

Arndt’s criticism of bureaucracies and academia also maps neatly to 7MTF types. Institutions dominated by Engineers (rule-bound, cautious) and Politicians (status-driven) tend to bury uncomfortable truths to protect order and image. Her frustration with inquiries that “ignored” female bullying reflects how these temperaments can collude in emotional dishonesty — procedure over empathy, ideology over reality.

Girkin’s Complementary Temperament

Dr Fiona Girkin, Arndt’s collaborator, brings an Engineer–Doublechecker balance. She is methodical, data-focused, and empathetic — the analytical stabiliser to Arndt’s passionate Politician. Together, they represent an effective partnership: conviction supported by evidence, emotion balanced by reason.  Her Regulator ia also /high which means emotional control.

Temperament Conflict, Not Gender War

Through the 7MTF lens, workplace toxicity stems not from gender but from temperament imbalance:

• Politician and Mover excess without empathy breeds dominance and manipulation.
• Doublechecker and Socialiser dependency on relationships creates vulnerability.
• Engineer and GoGetter indifference to emotion enables dysfunction to persist.

Toxic cultures form when power and fear outweigh empathy and trust — whatever the gender of those involved.

Conclusion

Bettina Arndt’s essay, though polemical, highlights a deep truth about human motivation: emotional intelligence can become emotional weaponry when misused. The 7MTF reveals that these destructive behaviours arise when dominance and charisma are unbalanced by conscience and compassion.

The lesson is clear — the real problem is not women leading, but unbalanced temperaments leading. Sustainable leadership requires the fusion of Politician confidence, Doublechecker empathy, and Engineer reason. Without that harmony, any workplace — male- or female-dominated — is vulnerable to the toxic rule of the “mean girl” or the “office tyrant.”