Social Darwinists who believe we live in a dog-eat-dog world where only the strongest survive tend to exhibit a host of behavioral disorders that leave them “dysfunctional in terms of life quality,” says a new study.

Also known as Competitive Jungle Belief, Social Darwinism is more commonplace in men than women and, at least for some, tends to decline with age. But while they are steeped in it, social Darwinists take a dim view of life as we know it.

As the study’s authors note, social Darwinists’ believe “no good comes in the situation of cooperation…. People are by nature selfish, thoughtless and dishonest.”

As such, each of us should focus only the welfare of ourselves and perhaps those closest to us. Alas, for Social Darwinists, there aren’t many who are close to them precisely because of their callous approach to communal life. In essence, they believe “others must be treated ruthlessly and instrumentally.”

Unsurprisingly, the study reveals that such personalities face an uphill climb when it comes to relationships with others.  “This doesn’t just make them a danger to those around them,” writes the study’s authors, “it has plenty of negative consequences for the social Darwinists as well.”

Some psychological experts suspect that the low self-esteem of social Darwinists and fearful attachment style (desiring intimacy but also resisting it) are very likely based on feelings of unworthiness.