Profile Of The Sociopath: A Charming Social Menace?

A sociopath is a person “whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience”. Sociopaths often appear on the surface to be charming, witty and flirtatious individuals yet they are inwardly hostile towards others.  Characteristics of sociopaths include:

Shallow Emotions: by all appearances sociopaths are warm, funny and compassionate, but they feign these emotions for their own personal gain. They will remain completely unmoved by upsetting situations and events.

Incapacity to experience love: sociopaths are unable to love one person, preferring casual relationships and sexual acting out. They are incapable of genuine attachment to another.

Employment: often having a conventional appearance sociopaths are able to fit in where necessary. They prefer to move from place to place, not staying in any one job for too long, and often have entrepreneurial versatility. 

Morals: The sociopath thinks nothing of ruining the life of another. They are oblivious and indifferent to the devastation they leave in their wake. Sociopaths blame others, even for the terrible acts they have personally committed. They are unable to experience remorse, guilt or regret. Sociopaths are extremely convincing pathological liars and can change their life story to suit the environment they find themselves in. They have a strong sense of their own individuality.

Intellectual Performance. Sociopaths usually possess a strong mental acumen and can perform well academically. They often have good memories and, if they apply themselves, can obtain good grades.

In summary research has shown that a sociopath is usually a person with an abundance of charm and wit. 3% of men and 1% of women are affected by this disorder. Sociopaths may appear friendly and considerate, but these attributes are usually superficial. They are used as a way of blinding the other person to the personal agenda behind their behaviour. Because they have an emotional need to justify their deceitful behaviour, sociopaths will try to gain the respect, gratitude and love of their chosen victim(s). Their ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim. Most sociopaths are fully aware of their condition.