How do you spot a sociopath?

Answer 1

I believe the direct answer to this question is: you don't "spot" a sociopath.

I was married to a sociopath for 12 years. Some sociopaths, such as my ex-wife, are true masters at manipulation. They are the most charming people you meet. My ex was also very attractive, and used seduction as one of her tools.

A few times during our marriage, she went to a therapist. She had them all fooled, except for one ... the only time she agreed to obtain couples marriage counseling. During the fourth session, our therapist asked my ex-wife if she would agree to a psychological evaluation. She said, "Sure" as I was ready to agree, too.

But the therapist never even looked at me, and just continued her discussion with my ex. I was shocked. I remember wondering what the therapist saw to make her ask only my ex, and not me. The testing occurred over three long afternoon sessions with a clinical psychologist (PhD), but due to privacy laws, I was not allowed to see the results.

When we divorced about 8 years later, I found a copy of it, almost 20 pages long, and it was frightening. But even with a clinical psychologist, manipulating him was no different than anyone else ... that's the life she lived. He did diagnose a multitude of disorders, stating she was capable of dangerous revengeful acts. I already knew her violent capabilities.

But it's impossible to tell if he was able to identify everything. Since the test results do not actually list the questions and her answers, I cannot tell how many she answered with direct lies.

But the report did include at least one event that she shared with him, where she stated she recently came close to death due to dehydration, something that garnered her sympathy ... yet it was a completely fabricated lie. An event that never took place.

Interestingly, though, I had gotten food poisoning about a year earlier, and I was taken to the hospital due to dehydration.

If you are able to identify a sociopath, don't let anyoneknow, since it will get back to the sociopath. If you work with the person, get another job ... or just move out of state.

We do live in a Country-of-Liars. com - which is where I have been documenting my first-hand experience of being married to a sociopath.

I think really the best way to answer would be as follows:

What do you define a sociopath to be? Generally narccisism would fit in the the psychopath/sociopath spectrum. Violence could be of all anti-social types of violence, but I would say that society is turning very narccasistic now a-days (a broken society). It could be anything from a psychiatrist who just writes off their patients and drugs them up, to a politician who want's tougher prison sentences.

I would say that most people things that other people think like themselves (ego transfer). So someone who thinks people need to be taught right and wrong, probably doesn't have an in-built sense of morality so can't comprehend how another person may.

I also know people who I would call borderline who feel 'pain'/anger from others pleasure in some circumstances, over other people who may just feel like joining in but possibly think the other person doing something 'silly' but pleasurable really shouldn't be doing it for reason other than being angry.

They do seem to have some kind of in-site into their anti-social nature.

I'd say someone complaining I'd parked in their parking spot by having a go at me would be a good clue (that's anti-social) as opposed to someone being nice about it or coming to an agreement (even after a possible affray).

I've had the callous sociopath treatment and it's not nice what so ever and it's not too hard to get away with or convert others with today's broken society. Very dilibrate, very measures, very controlled.

It's also unclear about if ever they would apologise compared to manipulate to a psychopath who would not know there was anything to apologise about, could possibly copy other people but not know when to do it.

I do also know some-one who would fit the psychopath field much more, and that I would say is much closer to insanity. Very much like being able to drive a car but having no idea what the engine is doing.

A sense of disrepair and helplessness because to them it's obvious something isn't right and they have no idea that it's them, or if they do what it can be about them.

My (hopefully ex) shrink may also fit the psychopath over sociopath due to having very blunt expression or very false charm and no in-site into any possible wrong doing or trouble it may cause her even though breaking things like the Nuremberg code and practising brainwashing techniques.

Avoid yes men, avoid people who are too charming, avoid those who want to tell others what to do (manipulation) or lie (you can use Chinese whispers and see where the gossip is coming from and who repeats the truth and who manipulates it)

The difference between autistic spectrum would be that autistic spectrum people would have many of the empathy 'issues' and those kind of in-site issues, as well as odd sensory perception and possibly violent outbursts if not in control etc.... but they would express guilt or remorse and I would expect would apologise and generally try to be nice and resolve or mitigate agains future problems and make effort to carry that through.

A sociopath may apologise or play dumb and offer correction or excuse, but not follow through for instance as a way to control you and make you feel sorry for their impoverished abilities.

If you have to be taught right from wrong you think instinctively/emotionally over natural reasoning, and to learn you would have to manipulate the right or wrong you've been told (lie).

My psychopath 'friend' also things with 'feeling' but one of more manual sensory feeling so he reasons using objects and more physical things, but get's distressed with people trying to reason or explain things and can't cope. He does try to get revenge in the only way he knows how though, but seems to be after the fact not before.

He also wants to get help with his social issues, or other peoples social issues with him as he doesn't realise that he's the one making people distressed and it takes two to tango as they say. Also has no fear of prison, doesn't feel pain, seems to act things out, will just change from one things to the next with a false personality change over it that's fairly obvious. So he may blank you for a hour or so, then suddenly come over and be your best mate.