Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions that people often ask when learning about Sociopaths for the first time.

What is a Sociopath?

A Sociopath is someone without a conscience, without the natural ability to tell right from wrong. They don’t think about how their actions would harm others, only the consequences to themselves. In order to fit in, they constantly have to act as if they do feel the same way as everyone else, so are very difficult to spot.

Are Sociopaths evil?

No. It may appear that way, since their actions can have a devastating effect on the individuals and organizations that they exploit. It is better to avoid them, though, once you identify them. If they realize you have something they want, they will ruthlessly try to get it from you.

Is there a cure for Sociopathy?

No. There is no known way to “cure” sociopaths. In fact, therapies tried in the past had the opposite effect – and actually taught them about human nature, allowing them to exploit people even more.

Is my friend a Sociopath?

It’s very difficult to tell, and you shouldn’t jump the conclusion based on a couple of factors. One fairly reliable way to spot a sociopath is that they will try to get you to feel sorry for them, despite having inflicted pain on others. Think of the abusive husband breaking down and saying that he felt so unloved by his wife.

Read the rest of this site for more tips, but generally people that lie, steal, bully and don’t seem to care about what happens to others should be avoided – regardless of whether they are “sociopaths.”

Is my child a sociopath?

If they are under 15, you can’t describe them as a sociopath, since “normal” children are still developing a conscience at this time. All children make mistakes, and don’t always realise that their behavior can hurt other people.

Some early signs that they could be heading for trouble are pyromania (setting fires) or animal cruelty.

What is the effect on Victims?

Victims of Sociopaths are affected in many different ways, most of which are psychological. Typically, unless they realize what the Sociopath has been up to, victims are left feeling confused, depressed, worthless, incompetent, passionless, and with a massive loss of self-confidence. This then translates into “real” effects, such the end or career progression, quitting their career altogether, which in turns leads to financial and relationship troubles. This spiral all too often leads to suicide.

The other effect is that the person loses faith in everyone, and starts to see life in a similar way as the Sociopath – a dog-eat-dog struggle, in which manipulation and stepping on others is normal behavior.

The great tragedy is that Sociopaths – who are often the least talented, least caring people – have an uncanny ability to seek out and destroy the most talented, most caring people in society. These people would have otherwise gone on to do great things for society, but their spirits were crushed just as they were starting out.

Do Sociopaths do anything positive?

In some cases, the sociopathic mindset is very useful. Corporations love hiring them as managers, as they can be ruthless in pursuing their aims. They overlook the tremendous toll their behavior has on the people that work with them, and often only notice that something may wrong when staff turnover in a department is very high.

In war, they also make excellent killers, since they are not traumatized by seeing others suffer. They can be extremely intelligent, and if they are not put in positions where they can benefit from playing games with other people, they can be highly productive.

Why are they targeting me?

If you are the focus of a sociopath, there is one small thing that will give you comfort. Sociopaths only tend to target “good” people – i.e. that have a strong conscience. People that have flexible morals are not so easy to control, and could equally turn around and back-stab the sociopath. Good people are reliable, and their conscience can be used against them – e.g. guilt trips. You are also giving them something – it may be money, power, sex, connections – something that they need. You are a “giver” – and often fail to stand up for your own rights.

Ultimately, the sad fact is… you just happened to be there. They had victims before you, and there will be many more to come in the future once they’ve done with you.

Do Sociopaths have any emotions, or is it all fake?

Sociopaths have emotions, but they are different from others. When a relationship breaks up because they went too far, they feel regret rather than guilt. They are not “hurt” when someone betrays them, they are angry. Of course, they know exactly how to mimic the right emotions in public, so it’s difficult to know what is going on in their head. But without any feeling connection to other humans, they ultimately feel an emptiness inside.

Should I tell other people that I think someone is a Sociopath?

Generally, no. Most people will think you mean “serial killer” so will discount what you say as a joke. They may even tell the Sociopath, thinking it was so funny. Instead, it’s better to flag up that they should keep an eye on the person, because you think they may be manipulating others, stealing, lying, etc in a very subtle way (or else you’ll appear to be the one being manipulative).

It’s very difficult to pursuade other people, but much easier if they work it out themselves. Sociopaths often have a halo effect to those closest to them. Once this is shattered, and people start watching them a little closer, everything else becomes clear.

The exception to this if you believe someone’s life is in danger, in which case contact the police and let them deal with it. They are

Is there any simple way of testing if someone is a Sociopath?

No. Even people who have been dealing with Sociopaths for years, and supposedly know their tricks, are often surprised at how easily they are caught out by them. There is a scientific method, involving brain scans, which can pretty much do the trick. But this is often only given to criminals. The easiest way for you to notice is if someone harms you in some way, but at the same time tries to make you feel sorry for them.

Most sociopathic traits can be found in normal people at some time or another, so you really have to look over a long period of time.

Do Sociopaths know they are Sociopaths?

Most don’t know the name, but they do know they are different. They spend all their time trying to fit in, and realise that others around them don’t have the same problem.

What do Sociopaths think of the rest of us?

Rather than feeling like their are missing out, they generally feel superior to other humans. They see most humans as weak, indecisive and easy to manipulate. They also think that, like them, most humans are wearing a mask, and that underneath their politeness and apparent willingness to help others, they are just out for themselves.

Ultimately, they see humans as little more than objects that are only useful for what they can do for the Sociopath.