How do you know if you're with a sociopath?

Question

I mean what are the signs and where does the behaviour differ?
Please don't copy and paste definitions! I would like to hear that from experience..

THANKS

Answer 1

Sociopaths often have no compassion for others & no conscience or guilt feelings if they commit a cruel act or crime. They can be very intelligent & charming, & are not neccesarily antisocial. They can be very manipulative & even dangerous.

Some signs of sociopathic behavior: cruelty to animals, insensative to the suffering of others, an inability to love, drug use, a history of jail or prior arrests, temper outbursts, a history of childhood abuse, cannot stand to lose, controlling, & maybe the most significant- denial- they often do NOT believe that there is anything wrong (with them) & will blame their behavior on others repeatedly. Because of this denial (which is usually SO engraned, that is has become part of them), sociopaths do not respond effectively to treatment. Sometimes NO form of mental health treatment is effective. Our jails are full of sociopaths. But many are intelligent & manipulative enough to keep themselves from getting caught.

Some women have a repeated attraction to sociopathic personalities (been there/done that/got the Tshirt- it's usually if the woman has a history of childhood abuse of some kind). Their can be an "allure" to them even if you know it is wrong. It can be similar to wanting to "take in" a lost puppy. Some women's nurturing qualities make them vulnerable or they often think, that w/ enough love, they can make them change. You can get "lost" in the relationship & lose your boundaries as an individual. It is a deep pit to fall into. The relationship can often end in GREAT PAIN for the woman.

Not all of these may apply to one person of course, but if you are seeing "red flags" in a relationship w/ someone, be careful!

Answer 2

Sociopaths tend to put themselves first, with not much care for anyone else. They really don't distinguish between how they treat a store clerk and how they treat their mother...everyone is a means to an end. They may speak words of apology if brought up on their behaviour, but it will not change. I am not talking about relatively normal self-absorption - sociopaths are hurtful without seeing why people would find their behaviour a problem, they use people to get what they want and then throw them away when they are no longer useful. It is "all about me", to the exclusion of anyone else. They can be very charming, but lie through their teeth. It's difficult to know a sociopath without knowing them for a long time, and in many different situations...they seem, on the surface, to be very normal. Slowly, their behaviour will start to become questionable if you know them for a length of time, usually. Catching lies, realizing that they have really poor impulse control, watching interaction with family and friends....may lead you to some questions. Don't expect a sociopath to answer you though. Everything is someone else's fault and they are not responsible, and they will lie through their teeth to convince you of that. Reason and logic have no place in their lives, unless it serves their purpose at the moment - they will not be convinced or change their mind once the decide which way is most productive for them.

Answer 3

I personally believe that I have never met a true sociopath, if there ever is one. The word connotes, in my mind, another label which was coined by persons who deem themselves to be the acceptors of correct human behavior on life on this planet . Let me tell you also that these people may not even have any authority by any educational system to set tags on anybody.
Does the term appear in any textbook? Perhaps. It is lumped together with all the vague personality traits unexplained under "psychiatric disorders", one symptom of which is "irritability". You and I can be called sociopaths!
As for your question, let us say that you are in a party or a work related social gathering.
You did not want to be there but you were required.
Here you are sitting amid a bunch of co workers who are making small talk, or acting in their normal , and usual cackling, twittering ways. You sit silently, nursing your cup of beverage, and patiently waiting for the gathering to end.

The question is "are you a sociopath for not joining in and acting the same way to fit into that social situation?"
The desire to be accepted by acting in accordant behavior is termed "normal", a very primitive herd mentality. Are you a member of the herd? If you are not, then you have every reason to be labeled as -- guess what - a sociopath!
Welcome to the borerline sociopathic club LOL.

Answer 4

That's really a tough question. Sociopaths typically have very hardcore behaviour. They don't usually have a good handle on moral decisions nor do they care if they hurt other people. Most sociopaths are also big time narcissists.

Answer 5

Had you ever seen the movie In Bed with the Enemy?
The portrayed husband is the classic sociopath. Selfish, manipulative, controlling, relentless.

Answer 6

The only thing I know about sociopaths is that they do not feel any guilt or remorse for what they've done wrong.