[Valin]

Click on Source for the rest of the article...or not.

[Valin]

For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, a sociopath is a person who lacks the capacity to feel sympathy or compassion for others. They are often described as people who know the difference between right and wrong but don't care. Insofar as they make the distinction between right and wrong, they do so at a purely intellectual level. Otherwise, the only thing that constrains the behavior of sociopaths is the fear of adverse consequences to themselves. In short, they lack what we call a conscience. If there is such a thing as an evil person, the sociopath is the prime candidate for the role. They are charming and ingratiating, but also predatory and utterly ruthless. Thankfully, they have a tendency towards laziness: once confronted they give up easily and move on to the next victim.

Remind you of any EX(oh how I love saying that) President? Bill Clinton Did I say that out loud!

[Mr Rogers]

"If there is such a thing as an evil person..."

Guess they don't believe in original sin.

[Jaysun]

For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, a sociopath is a person who lacks the capacity to feel sympathy or compassion for others. They are often described as people who know the difference between right and wrong but don't care. Insofar as they make the distinction between right and wrong, they do so at a purely intellectual level. Otherwise, the only thing that constrains the behavior of sociopaths is the fear of adverse consequences to themselves. In short, they lack what we call a conscience. If there is such a thing as an evil person, the sociopath is the prime candidate for the role. They are charming and ingratiating, but also predatory and utterly ruthless. Thankfully, they have a tendency towards laziness: once confronted they give up easily and move on to the next victim. Once spotted, it's usually fairly easy to get rid of them. Thus, Stout offers what is in essence a "spotter's guide".

You mean liberals?

[Xenophon450]

Hillary... I am not saying this out of humor I truly believe this, something about her, she seems to feign sympathy but truly only uses it for her own gain.

[samm1148]

Well; they must be born that way so we must afford them special privileges. We should compel builders to build houses based on the sociopath's perceived wants and needs. We need to change the law for this new minority so that they can move to the head of the line to receive the taxpayer's tribute. All Federal forms should be changed from the current "Are you white and work? Stop here; you don't get anything," to "Black, gay, latino, sociopath; fill in the blank to get a check".

[martin_fierro]

Had a boss like this once.

[The_Media_never_lie]

If the statistics are correct, one person in twenty-five can be classified as a sociopath.

Then one in twenty five Presidents should be sociopaths? What are the odds that two within an 8 year span could be so classified and also share the same last name? (Assuming H gets elected.)

[gcruse]

I thought a psychopath was dangerously crazy while a sociopath just doesn't like people. It looks like I picked a bad day to practice medicine.

[Thombo2]

Good read.Thanx.

[LibWhacker]

Enough with the perky already! Are they going to be describing her as perky when she's 70?

[SIDENET]

I've dealt with a few sociopaths/psychopaths. There is a real inhuman, predatory quality to them. I tend to believe that the cause is biological, rather than cultural in nature.

[TADSLOS]

The Clintons are the perfect sociopathic storm. Just ask any of their former associates, the live ones, that is.

[pandoraou812]

I think I know more then one. Yikes!

[RedStateRocker]

I grew up with a fellow who fit that description. He ended up in jail for murder, and died of hep/AIDS shortly after he got out. Smart, witty, a friend who had my back in more than one brawl but as I grew up I realized that the part of his brain that processed 'right and wrong' and/or the consequences of ignoring same just never, well, worked. Like color blindness or tone deafness. But he was a charming sweet guy that it took a LONG time for most people to associate the person with their actions; no guilt, no shame, perfect ability to lie.

[najida]

Dexter!

My hero ;)

[Humidston]

O.J. Simpson, Bill Clinton and (can't recall name - senior moment) the guy who killed his pregnant wife and threw her body in San Francisco bay.

....All perfect candidates.

[lakey]

She's not next door - she's across the street.

... blend in to normal society

... they have a tendency towards laziness: once confronted they give up easily and move on to the next victim. Once spotted, it's usually fairly easy to get rid of them.

True. Confront them and whoosh. Sad, though, as everybody has been used up and she's alone this holiday season. Even her daughter has vanished.

[Freedom4US]

"...the prevalence of sociopathy in American society seems to be on the increase."

Ya think?

[Dead Corpse]

I'm not a sociopath, I just don't like humans.

[Popocatapetl]

For sake of convenience, more than psychological nit-picking, it is best to distinguish sociopaths as "environmentally non-empathetic", and psychopath as being "organically non-empathetic."

For example, psychologists have proven that many people can be "trained" to perform sociopathic behavior; such as with the experiment where subjects were ordered to give increasing electrical shocks even though they apparently caused severe distress, and even death, to the phony test subject.

Entire nations were "trained" to be sociopathic towards "the enemy" nation during times of war, dehumanizing "the enemy" until their suffering and dying meant nothing.

However, this should be distinguished from psychopathic behavior, in which at no time in their lives can the psychopath experience appropriate emotions with relation to others. They are blind to what others are feeling, and can only function in an intellectual capacity in response to others emotions, faking their own emotions as if on cue, like Bill Clinton. False laughter one second and tears the next. Rage manufactured solely for tactical gain.

Blindness is a good comparison, because no matter how you might try and describe something to a lifelong blind person, for them it will remain an abstract, known only by their other senses. Bill Clinton cannot feel anyone's pain. Ever.

Importantly, this is an extreme of psychopathological dysfunction. Like many other things, psychopathology fits onto a bell curve of the degree or extent of the dysfunction. That is, very few people are total psychopaths, a larger number have some psychopathology in their makeup, and very few again may have none at all.

And interestingly, people who have no psychopathological tendencies at all may be just as dysfunctional as a full psychopath. They over empathize with people so much that they become terribly uncomfortable with any discomfort felt by others, or even when they think that others *might* be uncomfortable.

Such people might become agoraphobic, wishing to avoid human contact so as not to feel their pain; or they wish that the government radically oppose violent and unpleasant things, everything, from guns, to winning and losing in children's games.

Ironically, psychopaths can make superb leaders, because they have no hesitation in leading in any direction, to success or failure, ignoring the feelings of their followers. Their decisions are objective, and it is much like working for a machine--there are no emotions to get in the way, and you always know where you stand.

Psychopaths can also perform tasks made onerous by sensitivity to others. They can be effective healers who can inflict great pain necessary for healing. They can nurse addicts who are suffering horribly. They can be the bringers of bad news.

And they can also be dangerous troublemakers and criminals. It varies.