The topic? How to spot a sociopath. And, more importantly, how to protect yourself and heal from them.
Look, I know today’s blog post topic may not resonate with all of you. You may be thinking, “Why on earth would I even need to know that?!”
And while I believe that it would behoove all of us in this particular day and age to know more about the topic of sociopathy and its impact — especially because 1 in every 25 Americans is a sociopath — if you don’t want or need to read this post, that’s totally okay!
But if you’re curious and interested in hearing what I have to say on this topic and why it may matter to you in this day and age, keep reading.
What exactly is a sociopath?
Sociopath is a term that gets thrown around often along with its “twin” pop culture phrase, psychopath. But clinically speaking, neither of these are actual clinical diagnoses.
Instead, both psychopathy and sociopathy fall under the diagnostic criteria of Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD).
According to the Mayo Clinic, broadly speaking, “antisocial personality disorder, sometimes called sociopathy, is a mental condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others. People with antisocial personality disorder tend to antagonize, manipulate or treat others harshly or with callous indifference. They show no guilt or remorse for their behavior.”
In other words, a hallmark of APD (or sociopathy) is a distinct defect or deficiency in conscience – an inner sense that acts as a guide to what is right and what it wrong.
Along with this, a sociopath can also be characterized by a combination of a variance of traits including:
- Glibness and superficial charm;
- Manipulation and conning;
- A grandiose sense of self and entitlement;
- Pathological lying;
- Shallow or feigned emotions;
- Hostile and aggressive behavior;
- An incapacity for love;
- Risk-taking behavior and a generally reckless attitude;
- A perpetual need for stimulation and an inability to tolerate boredom;
- Voracious or promiscuous sexual activity;
- Poor behavioral impulse control;
- Irresponsibility and unreliability;
- Lack of a realistic life plan/a parasitic lifestyle;
- Illegal conduct and criminal activity, and more.*
(*For a full and official list of diagnostic traits of Antisocial Personality Disorder, please see the appendix of this article.)
Quite an intense list of traits, isn’t it?
So what makes someone a sociopath?
As with all personality disorders, the exact origin of antisocial personality disorder/sociopathy is not completely understood.
