10 Traits of a Sociopath
Human beings have evolved to live in groups with other people. This gives us an advantage as our numbers help to keep us safe and allow us to work together to achieve big things. For this to work, though, we need to live by certain codes in regards to how we treat others in the group. Thus, we have evolved emotions such as empathy and sympathy that help to bring individuals together as a unit.
Not all people have these emotions, though. Sociopaths are typically described as people with no consideration for other people and will happily take advantage of others wherever possible. They can also be charming, intelligent, and very dangerous. A sociopath will often destroy other peoples’ lives in their pursuit of personal gain.
Sociopath Trait #1: Lack of Remorse
If we have done something that hurts or upsets people, we will usually feel quite bad about it. Even if we are not at fault, we can still feel bad at seeing somebody else going through a hard time. It is a natural response that helps us as a species to live in large societies as we do. A sociopath, however, is unlikely to experience these emotions at all.
It’s not that they don’t recognise the person is suffering, because they do. The reality is that they just don’t care. No matter how terrible a time people are going through, no emotions regarding their plight are triggered in a sociopath. The sociopath will occasionally act in the way they think they’re supposed to, but that is likely to be more to maintain appearances than actually caring.
Sociopath Trait #2: Charming
People with charm tend to find that they are good at getting what they want. They are able to make people like them and convince them they should act in certain ways. Good people can often have plenty of charm. But when used by a sociopath, charm can be a very harmful tool.
A sociopath will often turn on the charm in order to get what they want. It is very artificial, and just an act to manipulate people to their liking. Once they have gotten what they want, whether it is sex, money or anything else, they can stop the act and discard the victim. It’s a potent tool that is dangerous when possessed by the wrong person.
Sociopath Trait #3: Intelligent
Some people are smarter than others. Most tend to be of fairly average intelligence, with some individuals occupying areas at either end of the spectrum. A high level of intelligence is often used for good, with some of the greatest minds in history having made some extraordinary breakthroughs. Intelligence can also be used to the detriment of others.
Sociopaths are nearly always very intelligent people. They tend to be well learned in a variety of topics and will score highly on tests of intelligence. This level of intelligence is often used to outwit and manipulate other people, helping them to get what they want. It is a trait that helps to make them even more dangerous to others.
Sociopath Trait #4: Liars
We all probably tell a white lie from time to time. We might even be guilty of embellishing a story sometimes to make it sound better than it really was. For the most part, though, we tend to be quite honest and would look to tell the truth rather than tell lies. A sociopath, however, will have no problem with lying to other people whatsoever.
A sociopath will gladly and deliberately lie about their achievements to impress others around them. They will also continue to lie if they have been caught doing something they shouldn’t and will gladly lay the blame on somebody else. Such lies can be very destructive to the people around them, including friends and close family.
Sociopath Trait #5: Manipulative
We will usually allow people to pretty much lead their lives as they wish. We might occasionally try to encourage or influence people into doing something that suits us, but few people will try to force other people into doing things they don’t want to do. A sociopath, however, will want to maintain control over people and manipulate them to their liking.
A sociopath will gladly control and manipulate people in a way that benefits them. They will use pretty much any technique at their disposal, including using people against others and emotional blackmail. The sociopath will care little for the well-being of those they are manipulating. All that matters is how they will gain from it personally.
Sociopath Trait #6: Narcissistic
We all know of at least one person that has a very high opinion of themselves. Such people can be quite frustrating and can cause tension, but they are usually not too difficult to deal with. Sociopaths, however, tend to have a very high opinion of themselves, and they think they are the most important person.
Narcissism is a common trait among sociopaths. They can really think that they are something special and that everybody else around them is inferior. They will sometimes get frustrated when they are not treated as though they are royalty and will expect everybody else to act subservient to them. The trait can cause them to treat other people with disrespect, potentially harming other people’s feelings and lives in general.
Sociopath Trait #7: No Long Relationships
People tend to come and go in our lives. We get older, our circumstances change and our preferences can change also. While this means that relationships will often change, we still tend to have a handful of people that have been in our lives for a long time. For the sociopath, however, long-term relationships are quite rare.
The destruction that sociopaths cause in other people’s lives means that relationships tend to be cut short. People that know them well enough try to keep clear and the sociopath’s nature means the loss of relationships matters little to them. It could even be that immediate family members have also chosen to keep clear or have been abandoned by the sociopath.
Sociopath Trait #8: Spontaneous
Life can be quite routine at times, making us wish that we could do something a bit differently. At the same time, though, we recognise the importance of not taking too many risks and the importance of keeping to our commitments and responsibilities. For the sociopath, though, spontaneity is very much a part of life.
It may seem initially as though the sociopath has an exciting way of life and, in a sense, they do. They just do what they want and when they feel like it, with no apparent responsibilities or attachments holding them back. In reality, though, their actions can be causing other people a great deal of distress.
Sociopath Trait #9: Lack of Love
Human beings have evolved to be able to feel love, which is a very natural emotion. It helps to strengthen bonds and promote long-term relationships. Most of us will feel it at some point in our lives, but some people are incapable of feeling it at all. For the sociopath, love is an emotion that is rarely experienced, if at all.
While somebody else may be head over heels for the sociopath, the sociopath is unlikely to feel anything in return. They will often go through the motions and will lie about their feelings, but it is all just an act. With the love only going one way in a relationship, it is not uncommon for a sociopath’s partner to have their lives turned upside down at some point.
Sociopath Trait #10: Highly Competitive
When going through life, we will come across all sorts of situations where we are in competition with other people. From games to job interviews and winning affections, life can be a series of challenges to beat other people to goals. While losing out can be a disappointment, we will often just move on. But a sociopath will often have to win every time.
Even the slightest of perceived losses to others can be a big deal to the sociopath. Just having somebody side with another person in a debate can prompt the sociopath to launch a campaign to claw back that victory, however small. The need to win can dominate their lives, and they will often not stop until victory is theirs.
