People suffering from sociopathy, or antisocial personality disorder, may display a wide range of behaviors associated with the disorder, which generally causes them to have an overall disregard for the needs and rights of others. One of the primary symptoms of sociopathy is chronic lying, which is often used to manipulate others. Sociopaths do not feel guilt or remorse for hurting other people, though they are often superficially charming and likable. They typically see themselves as superior to other people, and have a general disregard for societal norms and rules. They also tend to be impulsive, making irresponsible decisions and engaging in behaviors that hurt other people.
Pathological lying is one of the symptoms of sociopathy that most patients display. Sociopaths are highly manipulative and will do anything to get others to do what they want. This often includes lying, either directly or by pretending to think or feel things they really do not. In most cases, they are extremely convincing and able to fool others into believing them.
A lack of feeling of regret or shame is another of the symptoms of sociopathy. People with the condition often use or hurt other people for their own benefit and have no concern for how this makes them feel. They themselves typically only feel very shallow emotions, and are not really capable of loving others; they are also not usually capable of empathy and in fact show scorn for emotion in others. They are often good at pretending to be pleasant and likable, however, and can typically mask their true nature when interacting with people.
Most people with sociopathy are highly egocentric, with an inflated sense of superiority. They consider themselves to be better than everyone else, which typically means they have little regard for the rules and ethics of society. Their behavior often reflects an overall scorn for societal norms, and an overall sense of entitlement due to their idea that they are superior to others.
Another of the symptoms of sociopathy is impulsivity and irresponsibility. Many sociopaths will make decisions quickly, with little or no regard to the consequences, as long as they get what they want at the time. This can lead them to engage in dangerous or damaging behaviors such as doing drugs, being sexually promiscuous, or physically abusing others. In many cases, sociopaths have a history of juvenile delinquency associated with engaging in these types of reckless behaviors.
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anon252007
Post 16 |
I dated someone for two years only to find out our relationship was a total lie. Unbelievable how he fits the diagnosis to a T. Anyone who has had a recent breakup with a sociopath read, read, read about the issue. It's the only way to move on! |
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ChanDawn
Post 15 |
I realize that many professionals may disagree with me, however I am entitled to my opinion which I have spent over a year researching. I come from a family fraught with neural abnormalities (don’t let the phrase scare you or discredit my voice as I have a 148 IQ). I believe that sociopathy is strongly linked to autism. Not that all autistics are sociopathic, but that all sociopaths are autistic. Look at the evidence. Autistics commonly suffer malabsorption problems. In some cases, a little glass of milk can be absorbed by the body as an opiate, which is addictive, so if a person were injured and prescribed an opiate for pain, then the predisposition for addiction to the drug would already be present. Autistics commonly suffer a lack of empathy. Sociopaths have no concerns for the feelings of others. Autistics have overactive imaginations and thereby suffer perceptual difficulties. Sociopaths are chronic liars. The list goes on and the similarities are uncanny. The trouble is that there is no cure for either. If a person reaches adulthood without a diagnosis of Autism, by then they have learned what it takes to fake their way though almost any situation. If the parent (or parents) of an autistic child use their child’s disability as a means of excusing the child’s bad behavior and expect the world to adapt to them rather than the other way around, then what you get is a sociopath: someone who expects that the world owes them and who uses others to get what they want without regard for others’ feelings or the greater good. My live-in boyfriend is a sociopath. I know his basic life history (as told by family members. I’m not dumb enough to believe him), and I have been with him now for 11 years. Yes, it has been difficult and I see an end coming. However, we have a seven-year-old son together, who is unfortunately, autistic. He has Asperger’s, which is on the high end of the spectrum, but I can tell from their father-son interactions that my son would likely grow up sociopathic as well. I say “would” because I don’t intend to allow the father to be a major influence. I would not take him away from the boy, although I’m sure he would not be hurt. For now, my son has feelings and I intend to keep it that way. Seriously, think about the link! |
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anon234841
Post 14 |
I have a brother who just went through his third divorce. I hadn't seen him in quite a few years, so I told him to stay with us and look for work. He is definitely a sociopath. He lies about everything in his life to get his way. He tries to get everyone to feel sorry for him, to get what he wants. He is 49 and is jealous of children getting attention and not him. He is now taking up with a woman who is a prostitute, and he doesn't even care that she is. He fakes illnesses to get out of work, and can't keep a job. He wants the government to support him the rest of his life, and plays disabled, although he is healed of past injuries. He walks fine now after breaking his hip (it's been nine months since the accident). He walks fine when he's on a date or having fun, but when we mention that he find work, he acts disabled. He doesn't even help around the house. He takes his "sex for hire" girlfriend (who is not allowed anywhere near our home and I've tried to tell him she's using him) to Vegas, dances and spends money he doesn't have (he has a credit card). We tried to help him, but he does not help us, or try to change, and complains about people of different colors, as being inferior, or causing his problems. He is 49 years old and just texts women and complains about the government and doesn't work. I have had it for 10 months trying to help him move on and get a job. He is definitely leaving. He manipulates us to get his own way, and if he gets hurt by others (or if he hurts others), he has no feelings for them, just for himself. He only talks about himself and how terrible his life is, and it's a recording every day, over and over. He labels all women and a certain race as the cause of his problems. He takes pills sometimes and then gets in his car and drives erratically, but tells me (his sister) that I need to save him from himself because he's been too hurt. I have two people in my family with diabetes and they just deal with it. He is healthy. I am in my 50s and I'm old and tired, and he's moving on somewhere else. |
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anon225396
Post 13 |
"My, my, sociopaths sounds like dangerous people but they are still humans who have feelings." The sociopath/psychopath does not feel emotions. They have even done brain testing on this. They mimic emotions that others display in order to use them. That's why most politicians sleep well at night bombing countries or sending millions to gas chambers. It's efficient, no feeling involved.
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anon223721
Post 12 |
I unleashed a sociopath upon society. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. And daughter please forgive me, I didn't mean to, I was a depressed mother. I escaped from her to protect myself and wasn't until a few weeks later, just recently, that it hit me what she is, and I looked it up, and she fits it all to a "T". It all makes sense now, but makes me feel terrible. I had no idea what antisocial personality disorder was, but now unfortunately I do, having felt the effects of her abuse first hand. I will never see my grandchild again.
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anon212374
Post 11 |
I have an ex g/f with all the symptoms. Lie, lie, lie and more lies, she can`t even remember what the last lie was about. She cons and manipulates. She was coming to see me while living with another man, and two more men on the side, using them for money gain to gamble, and was very abusive. Everything with her was always one sided, all take and no give. She was a lying whore, and I'm glad I caught her. You can't rehabilitate them and there are no meds to give them. If you are with one, run away fast and don't look back. They are dangerous. People on here are saying there is nothing wrong with them. They just don't know. They have no clue how dangerous these people are. |
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anon195856
Post 10 |
This is very true. Beware of the sociopath! |
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anon195855
Post 9 |
If you don't agree on what a sociopath is, you are most likely a sociopath yourself. For real! |
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anon185219
Post 8 |
Listen. This stuff you all call crap, is real. I Believe I am a sociopath. Good luck my dears. Goodbye. |
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anon182487
Post 7 |
My, my, sociopaths sounds like dangerous people but they are still humans who have feelings. What if sociopaths just want a simple thing: to be loved? Yet how can s/he be when people label him/her as dangerous and stay away from the person? With that, it can trigger the person's violence and react, creating wounds for others in his own fun. I think humans shouldn't be careful too much or shouldn't label often because it only ends up hurting others. |
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anon178048
Post 6 |
I have a woman stalking me and making things up about me, including false evidence that I am stalking her. I completely agree with this diagnosis. It is ruining my life and there is nothing I can do about it. |
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anon164146
Post 5 |
I also agree this is not a load of crap! I am researching this because of a client I have on my caseload and everything they are describing here is him to a "T"! This person has always made me uncomfortable and I do believe he is a danger to the people around him! Thank you wiseGEEK. This has been helpful! |
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anon155993
Post 4 |
I always wondered why I couldn't understand why people take things so seriously. |
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anon148863
Post 2 |
My soon ex husband displays all the signs of being sociopathic. He has had a history of violent behavior scanning 25 years of his life from the court records I found in Illinois and Missouri. It is not a load of crap. These people are seriously ill and dangerous. There should be a stiffer punishment for a cure with repeat offenders who suffer from this illness. |
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anon140580
Post 1 |
What a load of crap. According to this article anyone who isn't a butt-kissing toady or mindless drone is a person who suffers from sociopathy. |
