What is a sociopath

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It's supposed to be someone with a personality disorder who display persistent antisocial (not asocial) behavior, impaired empathy, remorse, and highly egotistic traits. Doctors normally call it psychopathy, but many people use sociopath quite broadly and inaccurately.

Because people with spectrum disorders *supposedly* lack empathy, many NTs think, wrongly, that autistic people are all sociopaths and are very dangerous and violent, when the truth is that autistic people are much more likely to become *victims* of violence.

What Is Sociopathy?

Sociopathy is an informal term that refers to a pattern of antisocial behavior and attitudes. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), sociopathy is most closely represented by Antisocial Personality Disorder. Outwardly, those described as sociopaths may appear disturbed but can also show signs of caring, sincerity, and trustworthiness. In fact, they are manipulative, often lie, lack empathy, and have a weak conscience that allows them to act recklessly or aggressively, even when they know their behavior is wrong. Research indicates that while sociopathy and psychopathy share common traits, the cause of psychopathy is more likely to be innate or genetic, and physiological in nature, while sociopathy is more likely the result of an environmental influence, such as childhood trauma or abuse.

(Link to Source: Sociopathy.)

Someone with no moral code. People with Antisocial Personality Disorder (basically the diagnostic equivalent of what is referred to as a sociopath/psychopath) aren’t necessarily aggressive in nature, but because it is hypothesized that the sympathetic nervous system (the system responsible for “fight or flight”) doesn’t activate in emotional situations the way it does with you and me, they do not feel true emotions.

This causes a lack of remorse/empathy and actions like manipulating others for their own personal gain. These people can create a facade that makes them appear charming and charismatic, but in reality, it is only a show. However, psychopaths can still be productive members of society, and many are in important occupational fields. Some people say that sociopaths are made while psychopaths are born, but this really doesn’t hold any credibility from a diagnostic standpoint, as there isnt a diagnosis for be a sociopath/psychopath; that is merely a term used to describe people with antisocial (against society) tendencies, who may or may not be diagnosed as having ASPD. All in all, we shouldn’t discount people because of whether they have the disorder or not, but you should definitely be cautious and aware of the manipulative techniques they may use.

Bill Cosby - textbook example

DSM-5:

Eric Cartman on South Park

sociopath, so-ci-o-path n. Donald Trump

Believe me narcissists are just as horrible.

But terms like "sociopath", "psychopath", and "narcissist" are always being thrown around by people who don't have a real understanding of what these words mean. Just because somebody does something evil or criminal that doesn't automatically make them one of these three. And these people are always misrepresented by Hollywood just like people with Autism.