1 In 25 People Are Sociopaths?

I'm not surprised that it's 1 in 25 people really, after all its 1 in 100 people are psychopaths!

Really, sociopaths and psychopaths can feel emotion. They're still people after all! You can be a psychopath and be warm and friendly, and you can be happily married your whole life. I think a lot of people have this idea in their heads that psycho/sociopaths are cold emotionless machines, who are completely numb. Obviously they may not experience emotion as fully as a non-psychopathic person might, but they still feel.

Plus, theres many, MANY more layers beneath a lack of empathy that goes to making a psychopath. It's super interesting and I could recommend some books to you if you felt like reading up on it!

 

I was actually under the impression that psychopathy and sociopathy were the same thing. Psychopaths don't all turn into murders. But anyway, this doesn't surprise me.

 

I believe that completely.

 

If you met my family, you'd be convinced that that statistic would be higher :dry:.

But seriously, I'd say that it has to do with our culture now and a strive for materialism and stuff. How many of these sociopaths go undocumented?

 

I don't feel a lot. I don't get angry very easily, and my feelings of happiness and sorrow are fleeting. I do get excited, I do feel let down sometimes, not very often. I'm about 50/50 in terms of brain-lobe dominance or whatever that quasi-scientific terms is called; I'm artistic and liberal but also cold and analytical.
I'm not a very empathetic person. When a friend of mine tells me about their problems, no matter how hard I try, I just can't feel anything. I'm intelligent enough to have an idea of what it is they are feeling, but I can't relate to it. That doesn't mean that I can't be kind and console them, or that I don't care about the people close to me. Empathy is just something that I lack — most of the time. I cry often during films.
Even though I'm vegan, I don't exactly get sad when I think about all the factory farming that's going on. I would feel sad if I had to kill a bee though..

 

some people are just not as emotional as others...
Some people are social emotional butterflies who cry at anything even a little sad and laugh at anything when its not even funny... while others are strong minded, think with their brain, not their heart and don't let their emotions control their life.

I see some of my friends who see the Ethiopia adds where the kids are dying of hunger & illness burst into tears...

Others just say "oh I'm sick of those Ethiopia adds, Die already!"

 

Many people do use 'sociopath' and 'psychopath' interchangeably, but they aren't the same. They cross paths, and are even similar on a sort of spectrum, in certain aspects, but it's like apples and oranges.

As found on a site: " The term “psychopath” is usually used to describe a person that has crossed the line of moral behavior in a society. They’re the murderers, the school shooters, the manipulative cult leaders. They’re the ones mutilating animals just to see what happens. They’re also the ones that society views as a danger to others. On the other hand, a person is deemed a sociopath when they have the lack of emotion and ability to relate to others, but aren’t a threat to society. While they’re not as dangerous, they can still be destructive in a smaller, personal setting such as in friendships, romantic relationships, or in a family. But they’re generally not going to go on a killing spree.

A psychopath is always a psychopath; genetic traits or chemical makeup causes the person to lack the ethics and empathy most of us have. Signs that something is not quite right with the person are generally visible from a very young age. A sociopath, however, often becomes one as a product of his or her upbringing. Environmental factors such as abuse or a cold, difficult childhood can cause a person to emotionally shut down and gradually devolve into sociopathy.

The psychopath is well-spoken and charismatic, and even though he can have a cold-hearted and callous edge, he makes up for it in the next sentence. The sociopath lets a little more of his inner self come through; often he is disorganized, abrupt in his speech, easily annoyed, and quick to show his temper. He’s the one less likely to kill you, and the one you’re also less likely to want to invite to a party. "

 

My father fit most of the criteria for a sociopath, so it's not completely unheard of for people to be sociopaths. I'm not sure about 1 in 25, but it's not super rare. My mom had a boss who would toy around with people a lot.

 

Wondering if the computer generation has something to do with it with all the violence involved?

 

Well, no wonder I have no friends.

It's sad how some of you didn't even know that psychopathy and sociopathy are two different things. Come on, now. I'm self-taught, and even I know the difference. There is no excuse for this level of ignorance, even if you got your K-12 education through Arkansas' public school system. Kaiser explained the difference pretty well (as usual). This site also explains it pretty well, if anyone wants to read into it more. I also recommend what Katbot said about reading some books on the subject. The human brain is truely a fasinating thing.

I'll admit that I've been referred to as both a psychopath and a sociopath numerous times. I have bipolar disorder, and people see that as a synonym for both psychopathy and sociopathy. I once had a teacher come up to me and say, "You're not bipolar! Bipolar people are violent psychos who shoot people! You're too nice." This woman taught children with autism and ADD/ADHD, by the way, which is why I thought I'd feel comfortable talking to her about my mental health. I was wrong, totally wrong. With her knowledge of bipolar disorder, you might as well have been talking to a 10 year old.

I'll admit that I'm pretty apathetic at times. My mood generally likes to move from two extremes, and when I'm not manic and/or depressive, you might as well call me a zombie. As a result, I hardly have any friends (being homeschooled has effected that as well, but that's a rant for another day). I feel that I should note that I am an INTJ on the MBTI, and people with that type are not generally seen as sweet, fun, or cuddlly people, either. It is also very unusual for people with bipolar disorder to get INTJ. Then again, I usually tend to hide my emotions in public (unless I'm 100% chocked up, or it is a life-or-death situation), which I'm sure effected my result.

*is off topic, sorry*

I just wish people wouldn't be so quick to judge someome as "cold" simply because they have a mental disorder. I may be a pokerfaced bitch, but once you get to know me, I open up a bit, and someone of my true colors start to show.

 

narcissists scare the hell out of me ill always run.but i have big doubts its a epidemic. Narcissism Run Rampant? Let's Not Flatter Ourselves - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education

teaching kids and adults healthy self esteem seems the best approach. by that i mean encourage people to recognize ones faults and abilities.and be able to still have self worth. basically having confidence is great thing for many things in life.but if means failing to take good advice or taking big risks without evaluating downsides its not.

 

This is an older thread, but I feel like I feel like I should clear up some misconceptions in this thread.

Sociopathy and psychopathy are very similar, but the main difference is how the disorder is formed. Sociopathy is generally caused by environmental or negative factors in development. Psychopathy on the other hand is something you are born with; you can have the nicest parents in the world who do everything right and it doesn't matter- you can still be a psychopath and none of that would sink in. Psychopaths have brains that are similar to patients with brain cancer or brain damage. They don't have a functioning frontal lobe, which is why they lack empathy and are quick to anger. Many people who suffer brain damage can become angry and abusive, promiscuous, and nothing you say can sink into them...despite the fact they weren't this way originally. That's how a psychopathic brain works as well.

There's also a misconception when it comes to the differences between the two that is seen on this thread as well. In actuality, sociopaths are the more intelligent/charming ones, while psychopaths are more disorganized. But many people get it backwards (the majority of internet sites actually describe the opposite of what I'm saying because of wrong media exposure). But think about it; how could someone with brain damage, someone who's missing the part of their brain responsible for impulse control be 'more organized'? There's no logic there. Psychopaths always act on impulse, and because of that, they tend to have poor planning skills.

Oh, and not all psychopaths kill people. And plenty of sociopaths do. There's a difference in that the sociopath is more likely to commit a calculated crime, while a psychopath is more likely to do a 'heat of the moment' crime (although the damage is usually worse) out of anger or sexual arousal. Many psychopaths don't have the patience to calculate something for a long time. Their brains don't work that way.

Onto the topic, I believe that 1 in every 25 people can exhibit sociopathic tendiences, but I don't know about true sociopathy.

 

statistics and surverys are dumb and misleading

 

There are some really arseholes in this world who would destroy you for the slightness gain. They hide behind charm but really if we lived in a less civilisated society they would happily kill us all. I'm surprised it's not more like 1 in 10.

 

I believe I have slight psychopathic tendencies. I tend not to give three fucks about others, and for that I have been called cold, and even selfish. I must admit I am the least emotional person as well. I haven't cried since I was a child, and I rarely ever get sad. Even on dysphoric days, I get more angry than depressed. I do feel happiness, but yeah..

My mood usually goes from happy, to angry, or neutral.

Let's see, what are some other symptoms..

Definitely not a pathological liar. If anything I'm too honest, so much I hurt others.
But I can lie and have people believe me very easily if I wanted to.

I used to be a manipulative dick to an extent when I was a kid.

So maybe I'm a sociopath, maybe I'm not. But either way, maybe you wouldn't want to "get mixed up with me".

I like not being so emotional or easily attached to others. Saves me lots of stress I don't need.

 

73% of statistics are bull.