Sociopathy (Psychopathy)

You have asked a complicated question and you should research both subjects online to gain a better understanding of each category. Here is a brief explanation to help get you started.

A sociopath is a person whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. Their brains are programmed incorrectly. Some researchers believe they have found the abnormality in a specific area of the brain that is associated with sociopathic behavior. Most, if not all, sociopaths are narcissistic. All narcissists are not sociopaths.

The criteria for a diagnosis of sociopath require an ongoing disregard for the rights of others since the age of 15. This disregard is manifested as: reckless disregard for the safety of themselves or others, failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, deceitfulness such as repeated lying or deceit for personal profit or pleasure, and lack of remorse for actions that hurt other people in any way. The path of the sociopath is a straight line between themselves and what they want. They will lie, cheat, steal, hurt others and not feel a bit of remorse for any actions they take to accomplish their goal.

The following characteristics and behaviors are common:

• Glibness and superficial charm
• Manipulative
• Extreme narcissism
• Secretive
• Grandiose sense of self
• Authoritarian
• Paranoid
• Ultimate goal is to create a willing victim
• Incapable of real human attachment
• Pathological lying
• Lack of remorse, guilt or shame
• Shallow emotions
• Incapacity for love
• Lack of empathy
• Poor behavior controls
• Impulsive
• Early behavior problems
• Irresponsibility
• Unreliability
• Promiscuity/infidelity
• Parasitic lifestyle
• Lack of realistic life plan
• Criminal or entrepreneurial versatility

There are all kinds of degrees of narcissism that range from a person with normal, healthy self love to a person with narcissistic personality disorder, a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration, the belief that they're superior to others and have little regard for other people's feelings.

Extreme narcissists have a grandiose view of their own abilities, a lack of empathy for others, an acute need for praise and an inner rage that can erupt rapidly- especially when the grandiose self image is disputed, questioned or threatened by any real or imaginary assault from the outside.

Common behaviors and characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder may include but are not limited to the following:

• Believing that you're better than others
• Pathological lying
• Authority on everything
• Problems with interpersonal relationships- especially maintaining them for long
• Arrogance
• Excessive candor
• Lack of self awareness
• Defective social conscience
• Cannot tolerate offers of help or advice
• Expects indulgence from others
• Inability to recognize viewpoints of others or listen to others
• Flirtatious and seductive with strangers
• Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
• Exaggerating your achievements or talents
• Expecting constant praise and admiration
• Believing that you're special and acting accordingly
• Failing to recognize other people's emotions and feelings
• Expecting others to go along with your ideas and plans
• Taking advantage of others
• Expressing disdain for those you feel are inferior
• Being jealous of others
• Believing that others are jealous of you
• Setting unrealistic goals
• Being easily hurt and rejected
• Having a fragile self-esteem
• Appearing as tough-minded or unemotional

Many of the behaviors associated with sociopathy and narcissistic personality disorder overlap. A person with narcissistic personality disorder can easily cross over into a classification as a sociopath depending on the severity of their actions and behaviors.

You have asked a complicated question and you should research both subjects online to gain a better understanding of each category. Here is a brief explanation to help get you started.

A sociopath is a person whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. Their brains are programmed incorrectly. Some researchers believe they have found the abnormality in a specific area of the brain that is associated with sociopathic behavior. Most, if not all, sociopaths are narcissistic. All narcissists are not sociopaths.

The criteria for a diagnosis of sociopath require an ongoing disregard for the rights of others since the age of 15. This disregard is manifested as: reckless disregard for the safety of themselves or others, failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, deceitfulness such as repeated lying or deceit for personal profit or pleasure, and lack of remorse for actions that hurt other people in any way. The path of the sociopath is a straight line between themselves and what they want. They will lie, cheat, steal, hurt others and not feel a bit of remorse for any actions they take to accomplish their goal.

The following characteristics and behaviors are common:

• Glibness and superficial charm
• Manipulative
• Extreme narcissism
• Secretive
• Grandiose sense of self
• Authoritarian
• Paranoid
• Ultimate goal is to create a willing victim
• Incapable of real human attachment
• Pathological lying
• Lack of remorse, guilt or shame
• Shallow emotions
• Incapacity for love
• Lack of empathy
• Poor behavior controls
• Impulsive
• Early behavior problems
• Irresponsibility
• Unreliability
• Promiscuity/infidelity
• Parasitic lifestyle
• Lack of realistic life plan
• Criminal or entrepreneurial versatility

There are all kinds of degrees of narcissism that range from a person with normal, healthy self love to a person with narcissistic personality disorder, a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration, the belief that they're superior to others and have little regard for other people's feelings.

Extreme narcissists have a grandiose view of their own abilities, a lack of empathy for others, an acute need for praise and an inner rage that can erupt rapidly- especially when the grandiose self image is disputed, questioned or threatened by any real or imaginary assault from the outside.

Common behaviors and characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder may include but are not limited to the following:

• Believing that you're better than others
• Pathological lying
• Authority on everything
• Problems with interpersonal relationships- especially maintaining them for long
• Arrogance
• Excessive candor
• Lack of self awareness
• Defective social conscience
• Cannot tolerate offers of help or advice
• Expects indulgence from others
• Inability to recognize viewpoints of others or listen to others
• Flirtatious and seductive with strangers
• Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
• Exaggerating your achievements or talents
• Expecting constant praise and admiration
• Believing that you're special and acting accordingly
• Failing to recognize other people's emotions and feelings
• Expecting others to go along with your ideas and plans
• Taking advantage of others
• Expressing disdain for those you feel are inferior
• Being jealous of others
• Believing that others are jealous of you
• Setting unrealistic goals
• Being easily hurt and rejected
• Having a fragile self-esteem
• Appearing as tough-minded or unemotional

Many of the behaviors associated with sociopathy and narcissistic personality disorder overlap. A person with narcissistic personality disorder can easily cross over into a classification as a sociopath depending on the severity of their actions and behaviors.

You have asked a complicated question and you should research both subjects online to gain a better understanding of each category. Here is a brief explanation to help get you started.

A sociopath is a person whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. Their brains are programmed incorrectly. Some researchers believe they have found the abnormality in a specific area of the brain that is associated with sociopathic behavior. Most, if not all, sociopaths are narcissistic. All narcissists are not sociopaths.

The criteria for a diagnosis of sociopath require an ongoing disregard for the rights of others since the age of 15. This disregard is manifested as: reckless disregard for the safety of themselves or others, failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, deceitfulness such as repeated lying or deceit for personal profit or pleasure, and lack of remorse for actions that hurt other people in any way. The path of the sociopath is a straight line between themselves and what they want. They will lie, cheat, steal, hurt others and not feel a bit of remorse for any actions they take to accomplish their goal.

The following characteristics and behaviors are common:

• Glibness and superficial charm
• Manipulative
• Extreme narcissism
• Secretive
• Grandiose sense of self
• Authoritarian
• Paranoid
• Ultimate goal is to create a willing victim
• Incapable of real human attachment
• Pathological lying
• Lack of remorse, guilt or shame
• Shallow emotions
• Incapacity for love
• Lack of empathy
• Poor behavior controls
• Impulsive
• Early behavior problems
• Irresponsibility
• Unreliability
• Promiscuity/infidelity
• Parasitic lifestyle
• Lack of realistic life plan
• Criminal or entrepreneurial versatility

There are all kinds of degrees of narcissism that range from a person with normal, healthy self love to a person with narcissistic personality disorder, a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration, the belief that they're superior to others and have little regard for other people's feelings.

Extreme narcissists have a grandiose view of their own abilities, a lack of empathy for others, an acute need for praise and an inner rage that can erupt rapidly- especially when the grandiose self image is disputed, questioned or threatened by any real or imaginary assault from the outside.

Common behaviors and characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder may include but are not limited to the following:

• Believing that you're better than others
• Pathological lying
• Authority on everything
• Problems with interpersonal relationships- especially maintaining them for long
• Arrogance
• Excessive candor
• Lack of self awareness
• Defective social conscience
• Cannot tolerate offers of help or advice
• Expects indulgence from others
• Inability to recognize viewpoints of others or listen to others
• Flirtatious and seductive with strangers
• Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
• Exaggerating your achievements or talents
• Expecting constant praise and admiration
• Believing that you're special and acting accordingly
• Failing to recognize other people's emotions and feelings
• Expecting others to go along with your ideas and plans
• Taking advantage of others
• Expressing disdain for those you feel are inferior
• Being jealous of others
• Believing that others are jealous of you
• Setting unrealistic goals
• Being easily hurt and rejected
• Having a fragile self-esteem
• Appearing as tough-minded or unemotional

Many of the behaviors associated with sociopathy and narcissistic personality disorder overlap. A person with narcissistic personality disorder can easily cross over into a classification as a sociopath depending on the severity of their actions and behaviors.

You have asked a complicated question and you should research both subjects online to gain a better understanding of each category. Here is a brief explanation to help get you started.

A sociopath is a person whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. Their brains are programmed incorrectly. Some researchers believe they have found the abnormality in a specific area of the brain that is associated with sociopathic behavior. Most, if not all, sociopaths are narcissistic. All narcissists are not sociopaths.

The criteria for a diagnosis of sociopath require an ongoing disregard for the rights of others since the age of 15. This disregard is manifested as: reckless disregard for the safety of themselves or others, failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, deceitfulness such as repeated lying or deceit for personal profit or pleasure, and lack of remorse for actions that hurt other people in any way. The path of the sociopath is a straight line between themselves and what they want. They will lie, cheat, steal, hurt others and not feel a bit of remorse for any actions they take to accomplish their goal.

The following characteristics and behaviors are common:

• Glibness and superficial charm
• Manipulative
• Extreme narcissism
• Secretive
• Grandiose sense of self
• Authoritarian
• Paranoid
• Ultimate goal is to create a willing victim
• Incapable of real human attachment
• Pathological lying
• Lack of remorse, guilt or shame
• Shallow emotions
• Incapacity for love
• Lack of empathy
• Poor behavior controls
• Impulsive
• Early behavior problems
• Irresponsibility
• Unreliability
• Promiscuity/infidelity
• Parasitic lifestyle
• Lack of realistic life plan
• Criminal or entrepreneurial versatility

There are all kinds of degrees of narcissism that range from a person with normal, healthy self love to a person with narcissistic personality disorder, a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration, the belief that they're superior to others and have little regard for other people's feelings.

Extreme narcissists have a grandiose view of their own abilities, a lack of empathy for others, an acute need for praise and an inner rage that can erupt rapidly- especially when the grandiose self image is disputed, questioned or threatened by any real or imaginary assault from the outside.

Common behaviors and characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder may include but are not limited to the following:

• Believing that you're better than others
• Pathological lying
• Authority on everything
• Problems with interpersonal relationships- especially maintaining them for long
• Arrogance
• Excessive candor
• Lack of self awareness
• Defective social conscience
• Cannot tolerate offers of help or advice
• Expects indulgence from others
• Inability to recognize viewpoints of others or listen to others
• Flirtatious and seductive with strangers
• Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
• Exaggerating your achievements or talents
• Expecting constant praise and admiration
• Believing that you're special and acting accordingly
• Failing to recognize other people's emotions and feelings
• Expecting others to go along with your ideas and plans
• Taking advantage of others
• Expressing disdain for those you feel are inferior
• Being jealous of others
• Believing that others are jealous of you
• Setting unrealistic goals
• Being easily hurt and rejected
• Having a fragile self-esteem
• Appearing as tough-minded or unemotional

Many of the behaviors associated with sociopathy and narcissistic personality disorder overlap. A person with narcissistic personality disorder can easily cross over into a classification as a sociopath depending on the severity of their actions and behaviors.

Anything is possible and I've seen stranger things occur. If the person is dedicated in other areas in their life, more than likely they can be helped. If they are fighters and think THEY are always right, won't listen to reason then don't expect any changes anytime soon. Look at this person and try to see their good qualities and if you see that they are good in other areas of their lives and you love this person, promise yourself 4 - 6 months with that person and if you don't see changes (aren't even made part of it with the psychiatrist/psychologist) then it's time to move on.

"Change" is inevitable in this world and it can either make things better or worse for all of us. The guilt of "change" being laid upon us if we let it, is always being afraid of "change" and not looking forward into the future. When we win through change we have won much, but when we lose through change we not only win, but learn great lessons to carry on the torch for better changes in the future, while learning lessons that strengthen our characters.

Good luckHave a good weekendMarcy

The relationship can survive IF he actually takes the steps to get help and maintain the treatment. This will not be easy on him but it's well worth it if it saves the relationship.

Mere promises, especially from a sociopath, mean next to nothing.

MORE INFORMATION:

Sociopaths are the way they are because, from birth onward, the brainof a sociopath stores learning information in a random, chaotic wayinstead of in the usual designated places in the cerebral cortex. Partof this involves lack of crucial neurotransmitters, but as of yet noone knows whether this lack is caused BY the brain abnormality or is the cause OF it. It's probably the former.

Since their information -- including emotional information -- isscattered all over both brain hemispheres, it takes too long for thebrain to retrieve and process information, and the entire process ofsocialization becomes so ponderous that ultimately it fails. (See thebook "Without Conscience" by Robert Hare, PhD.)

Since the entire cerebral cortex of a sociopath is almost never ata normal level of alertness (their waking brain waves resemble thewaves of a normal person in a light sleep, alpha waves), this may bethe crucial deficiency that cripples the developing child's ability todevelop many aspects of the human mind. As the child grows, some of thebasic mental and emotional skills the rest of the world takes so forgranted never develop, and crucial among these is the thing calledconscience. That one never develops at all.

Some people may envy the apparent calm of a sociopath, but theirexistence is misery. They cannot connect with other human beings, andas babies they are so uncomfortable being held that they fight towriggle free of all but the most basic necessary contact. Theirheartbroken parents often blame themselves or the child, never knowingthat what is really wrong with the child is in his or her brain.

Under the almost somnolent calm sociopaths project is a constantsense of restlessness and lack of fulfillment that is nothing other than thebasic need all people have to receive stimulation and support fromothers. But a sociopath has no way of receiving this even if it'soffered. The endless frustration of this, and a discomfort that theyare utterly incapable of articulating or even really understanding, is the source of much of their chronic anger and aggression.

Plus, since they grow up in constant conflict with authority, theyare most often bitterly angry and sometimes violent adults, brittle andcombatative under a thin veneer of charm. Offered friendship, theyappear to respond, but quickly discover that they can get nothing fromit; they see the obvious pleasure of other people in such contact witheach other, and they often seek to "even it up" by stealing what theycan -- material goods, or even human lives. They are constantly toldhow "bad" they are, and by adulthood, most of them believe it. Andbehave accordingly.

Sociopaths rarely feel true happiness. If they do, it is usually inthe condition that some kind of intervention -- such as one of thesmall number of medications made for other conditions that may alsohelp somewhat with theirs -- has taken place, and it will be fleeting.For all their frantic racing around, they are really very dead inside,and this is tragic beyond description. Imagine spending your entirelife trying to get your brain to wake up! And failing. Thousands oftimes.

There are stories of people diagnosed as sociopaths who did improveto some degree, with the most ceaseless and diligent help. But sincethe vast majority of this huge body of people (there are more thanthree hundred million sociopaths on Earth) cannot get that kind ofattention, they turn to abusing those they envy, and often to crime. Itis certainly vengeance: "If I can't have any of this, why should you?"This is the real reason sociopaths lash out at strong and kind people.No matter what they say, they know that inside, they are always emptyand damaged beyond repair.

Only in neuroscience is there hope for these incomplete people. Thekey lies in awakening the brain, which is risky because sociopaths aremuch more prone to seizures than the rest of the population, and that-- an uncontrolled blast of electrical discharge spreading through thebrain and causing violent convulsions -- is likely to be the firstresponse from brain pathways that, after years or even decades ofsilence, are suddenly flooded with impulses. But if the devices ofneurosurgeons can be tweaked to avoid this shock, and all else relatedto this idea is workable, it's feasible that small electronic devicesplanted in the brain (these already exist, but are not yet being usedfor mental illness) could open up a closed connection.

That leaves us with the problem of whether a lifetime of scatteredinformation can ever be set into order. Probably the best that could behoped for would be a kind of retraining -- like what is now done withstroke survivors and head injury patients -- that would be bothintensive and compensatory.

One of the things that would be necessary would be to try to socializethe person whose congenital birth defect made such a thing completelyimpossible before. Whatever intervention is used, be it drugs orcomputer chips or what have you, it would probably -- I'd say certainly-- be excruciating for the patient at first. With no knowledge of howto cope with the emotions the rest of the world has been dealing withall their lives, the recovering sociopath would be rendered asvulnerable as a baby. Which makes sense, because some of the most basicaspects of the human mind would be developing from the primordialstasis in which they had remained since birth!

A person thus treated would never be fully normal, but the humanbrain is amazing in the way it adapts and continues to develop allthrough life. And given the utterly joyless and meaningless existence asociopath leads, any improvement is better than none.

The matter of missing neurotransmitters in a sociopath is, ofcourse, another problem. Would "waking up" the cerebral cortexeventually stimulate production of these? Or would they have to besynthesized? Only time will tell.

In any case, the desire to get well on the part of the man in the question -- assuming it is genuine -- is a rare but gradually increasing trend: when there are actually concrete solutions, or at least (at this point) partial solutions, the miserable existences of sociopaths may be mitigated. It's hard to trust, but dying terribly young -- or living in isolation while everyone around him (or her) seems to be having a wonderful life (which of course not everyone is, but it may well seem that way to the sociopath) -- aren't the only options any more...and although very, very few sociopaths can see that right now, it's not unheard of, not impossible, and not going to be the only way out once neurologists and neurosurgeons figure out how exactly to wake up those sleeping segments of the brain of the true psychopath (sociopath).

It's not a matter of "if," but "when".

I'm kind of an agnostic, because it's hard for my kind to believe in the divine. But one thing I get: if the universe came into being from one singularity that exploded in the Big Bang, that impetus or power of motion, creation, and destruction -- and change, endless -- came from that first singularity -- which, in turn, HAD TO HAVE COME FROM SOMEPLACE!!! That means that everything that exists is vested with the power that is the momentum from the Big Bang. In some cases, it's this incomprehensible thing called life; the animus; the body with spirit, whatever that is. I surmise that this power that is in everything might be God. As to its purpose, I have no clue.

I was forced to choose for good, forced by my own life's circumstances, to decide whether I wanted to go on living knowing what things I could most likely never have (things almost everyone else has and may even take for granted, and cannot conceive of living without), or die by my own hand or by that of another, all because I could not accept life without what gifts I'd never known.

I had come to a point where I had recovered from a serious mental illness as much as I could, receiving the best help available to me, but knew that the chances of altering the massive damage done to my nervous system and brain were almost nonexistent. ALMOST.

But it isn't the hope of finding the impossible to be possible that kept me alive -- it was the realization that if I died now, I'd never get what I'd lost anyway, so what good would dying do? Plus I'd quite possibly never get anything else.

Even for a deeply religious person, which I admit I am not, or for a deeply moral person (which I have no choice to be, given the nature of my condition), suicide is not generally considered the 'moral' choice for dealing with personal loss; there have been exceptions throughout history, but these were mostly in religions which, unlike Christianity, believed in reincarnation, so that death was not accepted as a reality at all! But I do not believe in reincarnation, and even if I did, why would ending "this" life help me or anyone in the "next"?

So, I chose to live, because if I am to have any of what life offers, it follows that I must be alive to do it!That is true not only for me but for you and for everyone in the world.

Anything else -- miracles or more losses; surprises or disappointments; inspiration or heartbreak, or simply a sense of peace -- will have to follow on that first decision: to accept being alive, which is BEING. (To beis to exist is to live.)

As soon as you die, change as we know it stops. (The change which is the disintegration of the body without life is not, after all, something that is experienced by the one who has died, but, rather, by those he or she has left behind, who, like myself long ago as a very young child, are often severely traumatized by the witnessing of the death of another person, and must struggle with it for a long time.) Life is over. It exists only in a fixed and immovable strip of time. In the present and future, life of the one who has just died exists only in memory -- the memories held by those who live.

As long as we continue to live, we have no real way of knowing that life will remain unendurable. That means we have hope, if we can perceive it.

Remembering this is what helps prevent people from committing suicide -- or murder.

Life is worth everything.

The Defining characteristic of the narcissist is grandiosity. The narcissist is more likely to be attention seeking, envious and to desire admiration.

The defining characteristic of the sociopath/psychopath is callousness. The sociopath/psychopath is more likely to engage in illegal activity, to be aggressive, impulsive and deceitful.

All sociopaths are narcissistic but plain narcissists are not also sociopaths

A psychopath is more likely to use violence rather then the narcissist.

Narcissist is not as "bad" as the psychopath.

Disorganized Episodic Aggression: (psychopath-born)

Organized Sociopathic Hatred: (sociopath-made)

Ritualistic behaviorSuperficial charm and "good" intelligenceAttempts to conceal mental instabilityAbsence of delusions and other signs of irrational behaviorCompulsivityAbsence of "nervousness" or psychoneurotic manifestationsPeriodic search for helpunreliabilitySevere memory disorders and an inability to tell the truthuntruthfulness and insinceritySuicidal tendencieslack of remorse or shameHistory of committing assaultinadequately motivatedantisocial behaviorHypersexuality and abnormal sexual behaviorpoor judgment and failure to learn by experienceHead injuries; injuries suffered at birthpathological egocentricity and incapacity for loveHistory of chronic drug or alcohol abusegeneral poverty in major affective reactionsParents with history of chronic drug or alcohol abusespecific loss of insightVictim of childhood physical or mental abuseunresponsiveness in general interpersonal relationsResult of an unwanted pregnancyfantastic and uninviting behavior with and sometimes without drinkProduct of a difficult gestation for mothersuicide rarely carried outUnhappiness in childhood resulted in inability to find happinesssex life impersonal, trivial, and poorly integratedExtraordinary cruelty to animalsfailure to follow any life planAttraction to arson without homicidal interest

Symptoms of neurological impairment

Evidence of genetic disorder

Biochemical symptoms

Feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy

The parent must recognize and seek help for the child, usually on recommendation of teachers and other professionals in the school system. This cannot be diagnosed by an untrained person.

One specialist is Dr. Robert Hare of Canada; he has developed a specialized type of therapy that will help child psychopaths (sociopaths) veer off the destructive path and have the best life the illness allows! Arguably, he is the ONLY one who knows how to train therapists to deal with sociopaths, and has a special type of therapy developed for children with this devastating mental illness. See his BOOK, "Without Conscience," available at online bookshops, and you'll be able to understand much more.

Here are three very different opinions from FAQ Farmers:

* Be careful that you are not confusing social anxiety with sociopathy. Social Anxiety is technically classified as a disorder, but think of it like a symptom. Don't try to get rid of the social anxiety. Find out what is causing it before you try to overcome it.

* "Sociopath" is a misleading word: it implies a disorder, something wrong and unnatural with the person, and this couldn't be further from the truth. We, the people you refer to as sociopaths, have nothing wrong with us. (That, while arguably true from a sociopath's perspective, does not mean one should not do something about the situation. "Sociopaths" can be quite damaging to those around them). Just as science understands that epilepsy is not demonic possession, that people with dissociative conditions are not harboring ghosts or devils in their bodies, and that depression is not a "deadly sin," it would and will be able to prove that sociopathy happens for a reason and that it can be dealt with. Sociopaths do very bad things. But branding them all "pure evil" isn't going to help anyone. It's just more hate.

ANSWER:

Yes a woman can become a Sociopath, even a man. This will depends on what kind of background a person have. People that become this sick has pattern and sometimes it does start when they are young. They probably got hurt, or worst so when someone become this way the only thing we all can do is medication , understanding, support, and love..

Answer

I am sorry that you are in this situation. Escaping a sociopath can be both a scary and a dangerous action. Please proceed with caution. Do not react on impulse (ie. suddenly, when you are enraged), as this will carry more risks. If you are living with the sociopath then you need to make plans about where you are going to go, your income, etc. A sociopath can become unexpectedly aggressive when he feels that his power over you has become compromised. For this reason, make sure that you are with somebody that you trust. They will be much less likely to attack you is you do not stay alone, and that friend may be able to call for help if he does arrive with malicious intent.

When you are safe, find some way to tell him to stay away from you, and hold true to your word. Then, make sure that you are around people at all times, and if he has been aggressive in the past; you may want to inform the police of the situation. They may be able to provide you with some options.

That is an interesting topic though. Can people be taught to have a conscience?

I would be interested to know if that is actually true, that they are a lost cause. I tend to have hope that all human beings can get help and evolve. Granted, it may take A LOT of work, a lot of conditioning, but aren't people essentially malleable and able to be affected, thus changed? We still don't know what creates a sociopath. There are theories. But I've heard people say sociopaths or ASD is caused by abuse in childhood and I tend to doubt that. Is there any research to back it up? It could just as easily be neurological disorders. Who knows. Perhaps there will be viable treatments in the future once they understand the cause of their condition. The more important question may be what can You do to help yourself if you are living with a sociopath. My father is one, so I speak from first hand experience when I say it's true they will Never feel remorse for the abuse they dish out. If they do apologize it is always insincere and has an ulterior motive. It is incredibly difficult and unhealthy to live with a sociopath. They will behave abominably and blame you, and you will either have to learn to put up with it..or leave. Simple as that.

Another viewpoint:

Sociopaths, along with other "hopeless cases" like people with Alzheimer's disease, Down Syndrome, Asperger's, ADD, ADHD, autism, and the schizophrenias, along with more common disorders such as depression and addiction, and so on, are a mystery, but scientists have a way of hammering away at mysteries until they unravel them, and they are well on their way to the core of this one.

If one says that sociopaths aren't worth helping, one rather misses the point, after all. The price the world pays for not being able to help these unhappy people is incalculable.

But it also shows the hopelessness that sociopaths/psychopaths and their behavior make many people feel, itself a mirror-image of the emptiness and meaninglessness that hide always within the psychopath.

To counter that hopelessness, please know these two incontrovertible points: (1)no, the sociopath who hurt you isn't genuinely happy; (2) yes, the massive population of sociopaths the world over will be able to be treated before long, and possibly the first threads of that are already starting now.

If one says that sociopaths aren't worth helping, one rather misses the point, after all. The price the world pays for not being able to help these people is incalculable. Euthanasia isn't the answer. There are people (whose consciences I really must wonder about) who suggest that all the sociopaths that can be located and diagnosed by the authorities should be gathered up whether or not they've done anything wrong yet, and killed en masse (shades of World War Two, but with a different group of people). This is appalling, for reasons I hope I don't really need to explain!

But it also shows the hopelessness that sociopaths and their behavior make many people feel.

To counter that hopelessness, please know these two incontrovertible points: (1) no, the sociopath who hurt you isn't happy; (2) yes, the massive population of sociopaths the world over will be able to be treated before long, and possibly the first threads of that are already starting now.

True that most if not all sociopaths are firmly within the definition most everyone else has of "evil" -- but also true that it is a neurological problem to start with; over the years from infancy to adulthood, a person born this way learns nothing about connecting with people and everything about manipulating them. Empty and unable to change that circumstance, sociopaths drift aimlessly around, occasionally colliding with other people and causing damage. They return again and again to new people, but cannot get anything satisfying from their parasitic contact (they'd make lousy vampires if such things existed!), and so, drift on...

But "society" -- specifically, some neuroscientists -- may soon be capable of changing that, of freeing sociopaths from that trap and sparing the people who would otherwise get hurt by them. First of all, the parts of the brain that are silent in sociopaths and not in normal people can be awakened, although the resulting maelstrom of response would have to be carefully managed in a controlled setting. Secondly, it's been proven now beyond the hint of a remaining doubt that the patterns learned in early life are not as "fixed" in the adult brain as was once thought: even people in their sixties and seventies can change the courses taken by information in the brain, as work with stroke survivors has proven.

What no sociopath can do on his or her own, not too far in the future, neuroscientists can do.

But this would entail a lengthy in-patient stay.

With no knowledge of how to cope with the emotions the rest of the world has been dealing with all their lives, the recovering sociopath would be rendered as vulnerable as a baby. Which makes sense, because some of the most basic aspects of the human mind would be developing from the primordial stasis in which they had remained since birth!

A person thus treated would never be fully normal, but the human brain is amazing in the way it adapts and continues to develop all through life.

And given the utterly joyless and meaningless existence a sociopath leads, any genuine improvement is better than none.

But until neuroscientists can alter the thinking of a sociopath remember this: "No life is ever a total waste; it can always serve as a bad example." Anna Valerious.