What Are a Sociopaths OR

What Are a Sociopaths

Sociopaths are a common type of psychopath. While it is a popular term, there are a lot of misconceptions about it that are unfortunately made by the media and pop culture.

Term

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People often confuse the terms sociopath and psychopath and use them interchangeably. They aren’t different in the clinical sense. Both terms refer to people who have antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Those with ASPD have no regard for others’ rights or feelings, lack empathy and remorse for wrongdoings, and have the need to exploit and manipulate others for personal gain.

"Sociopath" is a term people use, often arbitrarily, to describe someone who is apparently without conscience. In most cases, it's a description blithely tossed out to label a person as being either hateful or hate-worthy. The same applies to the term "psychopath" which to many people suggests a sociopath who is simply more dangerous, like a mass murderer. (Source: www.verywellmind.com)

Sociopaths

Psychopath and sociopath are often used interchangeably in common speech to describe a person who is pathologically prone to criminal or violent behavior and who lacks any regard for the feelings or interests of others and any feelings of remorse or guilt for his crimes. Although the terms are also used in the scientific literature (including the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM), they are not well defined there; mental health professionals instead prefer to understand both psychopathy and sociopathy as types of antisocial personality disorders (APDs), each condition being distinguished by a few characteristic features but both having many features in common.

One thing to note: While we tend to use the terms "sociopath" and "psychopath" interchangeably, they mean different things. When comparing sociopaths vs. psychopaths, Dr. Black says most sociopaths are prone to impulsive behavior and often seen as disturbed or unhinged, while a psychopath is cold and calculating, sometimes even charming. “I view [psychopathy] as the extreme end of the antisocial spectrum," he says, "because virtually all psychopaths are antisocial, but not all antisocials have psychopathy.” (Source: www.health.com)