Sociopaths

[Axel]

I just typed up a long post regarding the topic and how it relates to me, but my login timed out and I lost the post. I don't feel like retyping it now so I'll just ask, who here has dealt with a sociopath or suspected sociopath? How did you know?

[Andrew]

A decent number of the people that have been banned over the years might qualify, though going by the GIFT that might just be their Internet persona. I guess a few of the unpleasant/difficult people I've encountered offline might count or at least share some of those traits, though offhand I can't think of any of them I'd staunchly call a sociopath.

[cyanide]

I just typed up a long post regarding the topic and how it relates to me, but my login timed out and I lost the post. I don't feel like retyping it now so I'll just ask, who here has dealt with a sociopath or suspected sociopath? How did you know?

I can't say for certain I've met one as I'm not a qualified psychologist, but basically someone with no empathy. They're usually intelligent, able to manipulate people very well, and know how to mask their sociopath tendencies by faking empathy. Serial killers, I believe, are classic examples of sociopaths.

[Axel]

I just typed up a long post regarding the topic and how it relates to me, but my login timed out and I lost the post. I don't feel like retyping it now so I'll just ask, who here has dealt with a sociopath or suspected sociopath? How did you know?

I can't say for certain I've met one as I'm not a qualified psychologist, but basically someone with no empathy. They're usually intelligent, able to manipulate people very well, and know how to mask their sociopath tendencies by faking empathy. Serial killers, I believe, are classic examples of sociopaths.

That's spot on. They're actually fairly common too. Estimates have them at 1 in 25 people, so without a doubt all of us have met one, and probably even dealt with one regularly.

[[Q]]

my friend was diagnosed as one before he went to jail. i didn't know him then, but when i met him he had already been out and had changed his life around.

i guess i suffer from a few sociopathic tendencies not from "faking empathy" but not knowing how to act in certain social situations. it's hard to know how to act and feel when you were never taught how

[Andrew]

Diagnostic Criteria:

Three or more of the following are required:

• Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
• Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
• Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
• Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
• Reckless disregard for safety of self or others
• Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations
• Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

Thinking about it a little more, I'd definitely say some of the people we've banned over the years qualify...assuming it isn't just an online person they've adopted.

[Jackal]

That sounds like Jae.

Whenever Axel posts the song "what what, in the butt" plays in my head.

[J@3]

I'm not deceitful or that aggressive (offline) but yeah I definitely fit most of them oh dear

[Andrew]

I'm not deceitful or that aggressive (offline) but yeah I definitely fit most of them oh dear

But remember, your deep psychological problems were already expertly diagnosed by a former member after one of your "typical abuse(s) of power", namely locking a redundant thread; what a dick move, seriously. Good thing you don't produce an Internet TV show on top of that, that'd be a sure sign you're fucked up.

[shadowgrin]

Where's Dr. Phil to help us out on this one?

[Axel]

This is a lot more common of a phenomenon than most people think. A common misconception is that most sociopaths are serial killers; they are not. Defining characteristics of a sociopath include lack of remorse, glibness or superficial charm, plays for one's pity, manipulative behavior, and persistent boredom (which leads them to take unnecessary risks).

I had a former roommate who I am certain fit the bill of a sociopath. I had a file a restraining order against him after we got into a physical altercation so that we could have him removed from the apartment. As is common with sociopaths, they often have substance abuse issues (possibly relating to the boredom) and he was a violent alcoholic and the biggest pothead I have met in my life. His lack of empathy led him to do ridiculous things like open other roommates' mail, take things without asking, break other people's things in violent fits, and encourage his "best friend" to drink and drive if she was getting on his nerves so she would get out of his hair. I remember one time he picked her up off of the ground, put the keys in her hands and shoved her out the door with a very glib comment of "drive safely hun!". It was as though he couldn't care less if she wrecked and died; he later said that she "wasn't a real person anyway" but he continued to be her "friend" because she was easily manipulated (because she had no real friends) and she would provide for him anything he ever asked.

He is probably the most sociopathic person I have met to date. I have had a former best friend who I believe had some sociopathic tendencies but was not truly a sociopath. My brother is currently dating a girl who I believe might be a sociopath however. She threatens to kill herself whenever he breaks up with her and sends my mom text messages calling her a "fucking bitch" among other things. It's hard to diagnose someone as a sociopath, but I think that she might indeed be one as well.

The Sociopath Next Door is a good read about the people among us who lack empathy. It says that 1 in 25 people feel no emotional connection toward their fellow human. I don't know about you guys, but that is far too many for my taste. That's basically one person in every class you take, and several more if its a big lecture class. I have no doubt that everyone here has personally dealt with a sociopath. The only question is to what extent. It's hard for me to convey it just through a short post, but if you think about someone who simply doesn't feel emotion like normal people, it is easy to see how they can inflict great pain and suffering on anyone they target. If all human emotion is gone, their only goal is to "win" - whether than be for money, control, leisure, etc...

[J@3]

My brother is currently dating a girl who I believe might be a sociopath however. She threatens to kill herself whenever he breaks up with her and sends my mom text messages calling her a "fucking bitch" among other things. It's hard to diagnose someone as a sociopath, but I think that she might indeed be one as well.

Sounds more like she's bi-polar or schizophrenic or something

[Oznogrd]

Borderline disorder would be my guess on the crazy bitch

Theres alot more to sociopath than just the feeling detached i'd say. But what do I know?

[J@3]

I've got a couple of relatives with borderline, I don't think it's that. They seem closer to severe depression in the way they act but generally don't take it out on others. My brother had some schizophrenic chick come and live with us for a few months, she was fucking batshit.

[Axel]

My brother is currently dating a girl who I believe might be a sociopath however. She threatens to kill herself whenever he breaks up with her and sends my mom text messages calling her a "fucking bitch" among other things. It's hard to diagnose someone as a sociopath, but I think that she might indeed be one as well.

Sounds more like she's bi-polar or schizophrenic or something

Indeed, she has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.

[Oznogrd]

I've got a couple of relatives with borderline, I don't think it's that. They seem closer to severe depression in the way they act but generally don't take it out on others. My brother had some schizophrenic chick come and live with us for a few months, she was fucking batshit.

Hm, borderline is the people who will do anything for attention, including insane shit right? 95% of the batshit i've known in my life were borderline, doing it just so i'd call them. I no longer speak to any of those psycho females.

Could be just a simple emotional/behavioral disorder to without a specific diagnosis. Sounds like some of the kids im learning to teach...

[Axel]

Borderline disorder would be my guess on the crazy bitch

Theres alot more to sociopath than just the feeling detached i'd say. But what do I know?

You are correct. They are detached from others, but in addition they are highly manipulative, superficial, and have a pervasive desire to "win" at all cost.

I don't know the crazy bitch well enough to make a diagnosis. I know she is bi-polar, but even so she has some sociopathic traits. My last "best friend" had similar traits that qualify as a tell tale signs of a sociopath, though I would hesitate to call him one outright. He was a pathological liar, and loved to get sympathy whenever/wherever he could. Everything that went wrong in his life was someone else's fault, and he could lie about anything no matter how small, or obvious. We were roommates, and he tried to perpetuate a lie for an entire semester that he was attending class and "doing well" in school, yet every morning I could hear him in his room on his PC while he was supposedly "in the library" on campus. I always knew he was lying, but it didn't come to a head until my psycho ( the sociopath previously mentioned) roommate broke down his door and "evicted" him (by that i mean throwing all his shit outside). I had concrete proof that he was a lying bullshit artist when he received a notice at our apartment after having moved out which said that he was required to pay back his student loans for not attending school, otherwise he would be charged with fraud. While he did have many of the tell tale signs of a sociopath, I don't think it was necessarily from a human detachment. I can think of incidences that he was genuine and remorseful. On the other hand, a true sociopath, like my other roommate, can fake tears and any emotion at will. He would often fake tears at work to get out of doing difficult labor because, in his words, a "grown man crying is a very sad figure" and it could get him all the pity he needed to get out of work.

[Mandich]

All girls seek for attention some are just good at hiding it others get the bordeline.

[J@3]

I've got a couple of relatives with borderline, I don't think it's that. They seem closer to severe depression in the way they act but generally don't take it out on others. My brother had some schizophrenic chick come and live with us for a few months, she was fucking batshit.

Hm, borderline is the people who will do anything for attention, including insane shit right?

Not as far as I'm aware. Borderline personality disorder is sort of an off-shoot of post traumatic stress disorder. I think some doctors even call it post traumatic personality disorder. The attention seeking and stuff would just be the individuals own tendancies, it's not something I've noticed with my relo's.

[benji]

but if you think about someone who simply doesn't feel emotion like normal people

How am I supposed to know?

By copying people on the tee vee?

[Paul23]

I think it is fantastic that we are finally calling attention to these issues that were ignored for so many years. We don't know what is being pumped into us and our children that is causing them to turn into these types of people. We didn't have serial killers like this fifty years ago, but we do now, and I think the causation is clear.

It really makes you stop and think how anyone could possibly think this is alright when they don't know because of corporate protection laws what the unregulated chemicals have done to your brain. And then what they're doing to your kids. No wonder we have them shooting up schools and getting into drugs or sex. I mean if our brains are ruined by the chemicals and their brains are doubly ruined, no wonder they are enslaved by the liquid cocaine that is destroying our children.

If we had never rolled back the laws that protected us in this country then the government could be out there placing people into mental hospitals for life instead of letting them roam the streets and murder and rape people just because they had ingested too much liquid cocaine. It really makes you fear for our survival as a civilization when you turn on the TV and people are not just saying we can't ban liquid cocaine but are also saying we have to tolerate people who violate the morals of a community. This is not what America was founded on and is not how America can regain its position in the world. I'm not sure how anyone could be opposed to a simple policy that allows the government to place anyone it finds to be out of control mentally into a protective home for the sake of society.

[Oznogrd]

We certainly cant have them getting into sex. I mean, come on, who wants to increase spending in the economy through children and keep the country populated? Oh and curing depression and burnng calories. Those are the last things we would ever want.

Attack drugs and corporations as much as you want, but sex is proven to be healthy (provided you wrap it up to avoid STDs). Even internet porn has shown to have a correlation in much lower violent sex crime rates because alot of people can now get their rocks off online.

[benji]

Disgusting, you probably think people should be able to look at explicit Simpsons porn online involving Bart and Lisa, as long as they aren't molesting actual children.

[cyanide]

Borderline personality disorder is sort of an off-shoot of post traumatic stress disorder.

Agreed, and they could also go hand-in-hand too depending on the individual.

[Oznogrd]

Not as far as I'm aware. Borderline personality disorder is sort of an off-shoot of post traumatic stress disorder. I think some doctors even call it post traumatic personality disorder. The attention seeking and stuff would just be the individuals own tendancies, it's not something I've noticed with my relo's.

Ok then the definition is different from what I heard in High school. Also from my uncle who's a psychotherapist. Will have to research later.