How To Spot A Sociopath and A Psychopath

There is a general misconception about a Sociopath and a Psychopath. Many times, they are used interchangeably to define a person who breaks law.

There are few common traits shared by both sociopath and a psychopath such as:

– Lack of empathy,– Well trained to use their charms– Lack of remorse or guilt for their acts.– Both involve impaired cognitive function, but different circuits are affected in both cases.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A SOCIOPATH & A PSYCHOPATH

However, despite being sharing few commonalities, they differ in  major ways:

1. EMOTIONAL REGULATION

A Sociopath tends to be nervous in general. They are unable to control their emotions and depict their frustration without any filter. Many crimes they commit are not planned and are impulsive which is in sharp contrast to a Psychopaths.

Most Psychopaths score high on Intelligence tests and makes use of this to plan their crime. They tend to be well adjusted in society and are able to hold steady jobs. A sociopath is unable to do so and often quits multiple jobs due to the anxiety they face.

2. SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Sociopaths are able to form an attachment to people but they don’t have any regards for the rules made by the society and because of such behavior, they struggle in relationships. It is the faulty upbringing which plays a major role in the birth of a Sociopath. They are trustworthy and sincere by personality but they are manipulative and lack the ability to judge the morality of the situation.

Psychopaths cannot form emotional attachments and they don’t feel empathetic towards anyone. Their nature is aggressive, predatory and manipulative and they easily gain people’s trust. They learn to mimic emotions but they don’t feel them at all.

3. MORAL CONSCIENCE

Psychopaths don’t have a sense of right and wrong; sociopaths do. But both are equally capable of ruining lives and destroying relationships.

4. ROOT CAUSE

Psychopathy, notably related to the underdevelopment of parts of the brain responsible for emotional regulation and impulse control.

The most important causes of sociopathy, in contrast, lie in physical or emotional abuse or severe trauma experienced during childhood.

To put the matter simplistically, psychopaths are born, and sociopaths are made.

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