Have you ever known a sociopath?

Question

...or have you ever suspected someone you know to be one?

Answer 1

I've known a couple. Some I understand are very sucsessful so I don't think it has anything to do with sanity, it's more of a behavioral problem. They just have a total lack of respect or regard for anything or anyone. One that I knew robbed his neighbor, got arrested, bailed out by his uncle, then stole his uncle's car and wallet while he slept and after he was arrested again a day later he tried to say he just escaped from his kidnappers. I'm not kidding, this really happened. No fear of the consequences for his actions no matter what they were. Oh, and to top it off the guy tried to lie about who he was when the police had his ID. That may be the loudest alarm of all, LIES. Even when they know you know they are lying, they will still look you in the eye and lie some more. They just do not care. Lucky for me the only ties I had was that I knew who they were. The ones that are good at it are hard to pick out, but they always trip up and expose themselfs for who and what they really are. Today a word that might be used to describe one would be "Player".

Answer 2

I can count them among some of the "boyfriends" I've had. Sometimes you don't know someone is one until you get to know them really well. They hide it well. The two worst ones were the nicest guys you've ever met for about three months after I met them and then they let me see the REAL person. The were compulsive liers about EVERYTHING. They were compulsively promiscuous. They were bisexual. Not that I think all bisexuals are sociopaths. They were theives. And they were very charming most of the time and very attractive. One bashed my head against the wall when I tried to leave. The other raped me at the end. One stole my car. The other stole my jewelry. These were the most charming, nicest, kindest guys in the world in the beginning. These guys all have really well thought out "fronts" that they present to the world and most people are completely fooled about how they really are.

Answer 3

I am not sure I have ever known a full-blown soiciopath, though I have known a lot of people with some sociopathic tendencies. I don't think most people really understand the harm they do to other people. Hurting people and disassociating any feeling from that is very common. People rationalize their behaviour and short-circuit any empathy with their victims all the time. I am dealing with a group of people who hurt others a lot and just don't see what they are doing. It is hard for me because I seem to be sentenced to have a highly tuned empathathic soul. Of course, I may only believe that because of my own rationalizaton. Oh, where does it end?

Answer 4

Crazy people, nuts, loons, morons, fools, idiots, and the totally wacked out, I suppose, but not an actual certifiable sociopath.