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Being a sociopath is really on a spectrum. There is an assessment that scores people on a scale of one to twenty-three. The average person scores about an eight.
Read The Sociopath Next Door. It's a quick read and highly regarded. I wish I had read it when I was young. I had always thought that sociopath = Ted Bundy. Although he was one, there are many people who do not torture and kill, but still wreak havoc on people's lives.
Being a sociopath is really on a spectrum. There is an assessment that scores people on a scale of one to twenty-three. The average person scores about an eight.
Read The Sociopath Next Door. It's a quick read and highly regarded. I wish I had read it when I was young. I had always thought that sociopath = Ted Bundy. Although he was one, there are many people who do not torture and kill, but still wreak havoc on people's lives.
I was just going to make this exact same point and mention that book as well. There are varying levels of sociopath and I'm fully convince one of our SIL's is on the low end....
She seems friendly and chipper, but every interaction with her she is actually spreading negativity, a few clicks past simply gossiping, she gives you little digs, she likes to keep discussing bad things that happen, like I said she seems like she nice and friendly, but really every interaction with her I feel like I need a bath.
I'm fully convinced that she sits somewhere on the spectrum of being a lower level sociopath.
I was just going to make this exact same point and mention that book as well. There are varying levels of sociopath and I'm fully convince one of our SIL's is on the low end....
She seems friendly and chipper, but every interaction with her she is actually spreading negativity, a few clicks past simply gossiping, she gives you little digs, she likes to keep discussing bad things that happen, like I said she seems like she nice and friendly, but really every interaction with her I feel like I need a bath.
I'm fully convinced that she sits somewhere on the spectrum of being a lower level sociopath.
My instinct would be unresolved anger issues combined with a passive-aggressive personality.
However, I don't think the traits appear on a spectrum. A sociopath is a lay term for someone with Antisocial Personality Disorder (often called by the criminal term, psychopath, although the two labels are not supposed to be the same). A person either carries the diagnostic criteria for this or h/she doesn't. (See DSM-IV and V). OTOH, today we all seem to use the term "sociopath" to describe anyone who seems ruthless, remorseless, selfish, etc. (Not unlike to the way people label others "narcissists" when they may only have narcissistic tendencies.)
Layman (former social worker, not a shrink) with some common sense observations:
Sociopaths are often "creepy". You get a strong feeling that something is wrong with them. They are usually not "successful" in life, and lurk around societys fringes. They are frequently on and out of jail for relatively minor theft and violence.
Psychopaths, on the other hand, are often highly successful so far as career, and the outward appearances of success. They usually end up in prison. But not near soon enough. And often for white color crimes.
My instinct would be unresolved anger issues combined with a passive-aggressive personality.
You'd have to meet her and just hear her... known her for 23 yrs now and had a lot of chances to be around her.
Quote:
Originally Posted by greywar
Yeah being a sociopath doesn't mean you spread gossip and are negative, and there is a huge range.
I probably should have used some better examples, but I did say the way she is isn't simply gossip, it's much more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by goodmockingbird
Layman (former social worker, not a shrink) with some common sense observations:
Sociopaths are often "creepy". You get a strong feeling that something is wrong with them. They are usually not "successful" in life, and lurk around societys fringes. They are frequently on and out of jail for relatively minor theft and violence.
Psychopaths, on the other hand, are often highly successful so far as career, and the outward appearances of success. They usually end up in prison. But not near soon enough. And often for white color crimes.
I agree about the creepy factor... sometimes you interact with someone and can pick up that there's something under the facade. Sometimes we need to trust our "gut" more.
Doesn't mean we can be wrong, but you should defiantly pay attention to the flags as you spot them.
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