What's the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?

Answer 1

Psychopathic behavior is defined when one do things like messing around with another person or thing, mentally, physically, physciology without rational reason or just for the sake of doing it; without any real reason or emotion. I believe that these people can range from as little as mocking or temperaring with someone or something just for the sake of it, to running amok around malls shooting people just to see catastrophy. They usually act normal because they like tricking for bad purposes. The real point is the person needs to search for real 'reasons', and 'emotions' for why they're doing this. What is up with there mind! Only that can determind if there's a problem or not.

A sociopath is one who pratices what would be considered anti-social acts on a large scale (like murder, rape, harassing others in a big way). This does not mean that a person who is an introvert is a sociopath, absolutely not! That's just their 'nature'. Why the a person could be a sociopath is unknown; maybe caused by their upbring or environment, it's not unlikely that there a could be an area with a number of sociopaths...

I also want to add that psychopaths usually pick their prey, meaning they show how they truly are when a specific person "sets them off", not the persons problem, but the person who acts like the preditor.

Although I wouldn't be so fast as to point the finger and say who's got the mental problem or not, because these two groups ESPECIALLY are good at that, and another common thing is that it's not uncommon for these types to go out of their way to reduce other rather 'normal' individuals to satisfy there sick need to harm innocent people...

Answer 2

A psychopath is psychotic. He may have delusions or hallucinations, losing touch with reality.

A sociopath is the layman's term for someone with antisocial personality disorder, that is, he/she (but more often a "he') has a history of remorseless lying/stealing/cheating, hurting other people, lawlessness, and violence.

Answer 3

Psychopath is mentally ill, sociopath is someone who does sinister things in the society. All sociopaths are psychopaths but not the other way around.
Etymologically psyche means mind, socio means society, pathos means sad or bad.

Answer 4

Not much , as they are both more sever types than antisocial personality disordered. Sociopath merely superseded psychopath in usage. You will here nonsense on this, but you can safely ignore it.