Let’s be honest: who has never called their neighbor, classmate, colleague or ex-boyfriend a psychopath, what if the argument is long?the current groom Do we usually use psychopathic or sociopathic terms interchangeably, to refer to a person who defpathizes from social norms, acts unscrupulously, lacks empathy or is he simply a natural manipulator?
However, do we know what the real differences are between a psychopath and a sociopath, so a small dissection of the two profiles will help us use them correctly and also determine whether the person we are thinking of fits into one of them or if it is simply not very sociable.
- The connection of the two models lies in antisocial behavior.
- However.
- Although all psychopaths can be diagnosed with an antisocial personality disorder.
- This does not happen in the same way in the other direction.
The main difference would be at the origin of this pattern of behavior: a change in behavior caused by brain damage or childhood trauma in the case of sociopaths, or a type of personality devoted from the genetics of the individual in the case of psychopaths.
In this sense, according to geneticist David Lykken, the psychopath’s personality is the result of an underdevelopment of the part of the brain that controls impulses and emotions.
The psychopath cannot be referred to as a mental patient, as he is the main actor of his actions, and not only a viewer who does not know what he is doing, that is, the psychopath acts under his responsibility, discerning his actions and without feeling discomfort or interference in his daily life.
Garrido Genovés (2000) in his book El psic-pata highlights the main characteristics of this type of personality.
Regarding the emotional and interpersonal field
And as for the lifestyle:
On the other hand, forensic reports point to some other characteristics: high self-esteem, meticulousness, perfectionism, stiffness and stubbornness. Simply put, it could be said that the psychopath sees the human being as an instrument to achieve his ends, without getting emotionally involved.
In this way, and oddly enough, psychopaths are generally well educated, with stable relationships and jobs, hence the typical statements of the neighbors who, after realizing that the fifth-floor neighbor is a serial killer, declare “I have always been greeted in the elevator”.
On the other hand, psychopaths find it very difficult to understand emotional experiences because of their difficulty integrating thoughts and emotions, so that they can identify feelings and call them by name, but not feel them, that is, they are able to understand them intellectually, or even simulate them, because they have learned that a situation usually generates some feeling, but for them they are not “natural engines of action”.
Experts explain that sociopathy is not a psychiatric illness in the strict sense of the word, according to psychiatrist José A. Posada, it is estimated that at least 3% of men and 1% of women have sociopathic characteristics in their personality profile.
Does sociopathy refer to a number of patterns of behavior that are considered antisocial and/or criminal by most society but considered normal?And even necessary? Because of the subculture of the social environment in which they live.
Unlike psychopaths, sociopaths can have a well-developed conscience and a good capacity for empathy, guilt, and loyalty to individuals in particular, but their sense of what is right or wrong is based on their group’s standards and expectations.
Jose A. Posada lists among its main features
Other studies indicate that sociopaths tend to be nervous and change easily; In addition, they usually live and work alone due to their difficulty adapting to teamwork and staying in the same place.
When making the decision to commit a crime, psychopaths carefully plan every detail. Ted Bundy would be a good example of the organized psychopathic serial killer. On the other hand, the majority of crimes committed by sociopaths tend to have a disorganized and spontaneous profile.
Psychopathy means that the individual has no empathy or sense of morality. Sociopathy indicates that the subject has a sense of morality and a well-developed consciousness, even if his classification of good and evil is particular.
Sociopaths can only feel an emotional connection with a few people, such as a family member or friend, and only in specific contexts; psychopaths, on the other hand, are simply unable to empathize and form real emotional bonds with someone. psychopaths to effectively mimic the emotional connection makes them particularly dangerous, as they manage to commit their crimes with great success.