Feeling of guilt or remorse
Psychopaths don't feel remorse. After transgressing social norms, psychopaths are not tormented by the so-called “voice of conscience”, which keeps telling us that what we did is wrong. Psychopaths do not brood, as is natural for people who do not suffer from antisocial personality disorder.
Sociopaths have some sense of guilt, though this is not always enough to stop them from harming others.
Empathy
Psychopaths have no empathy for others. In other words, they do not have this human virtue that is so important for good coexistence in society. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in the other's shoes, understanding their feelings. Psychopaths tend not to be able to put themselves in someone else's shoes.
Sociopaths, on the other hand, have some empathy or consideration for other people's feelings. But, as in the case of guilt, this weak empathy is not always able to prevent the sociopath from making his will prevail over the rights of others.
Concealment
Psychopaths tend to be more underhanded, feigning interest in other people as a way of manipulating them. Sociopaths, on the other hand, are less secretive, more open about what they want.
coldness
More calculating and calm, psychopaths are extremely skilled at achieving their goals. Sociopaths tend to be more “explosive” (or “hotheaded”), acting without the coldness that characterizes psychopaths.
Crimes
When committing crimes or unethical acts, psychopaths tend to meticulously plan their actions, including thinking of plans B. Sociopaths, on the other hand, tend to act by accident, without tracing their steps in advance.
Among the criminal or unethical actions characteristic of psychopaths and sociopaths, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists the acts of defrauding, exploiting, cheating, and manipulating.
According to Canadian psychologist Robert Hare, who studies psychopathy, most psychopaths are not criminals. This contradicts certain common sense that associates psychopathy with murderers and serial killers. What characterizes psychopathy is the adoption of a predatory lifestyle, whether in the professional or emotional sphere.
Origin
Psychopathy originates from genetic or hereditary factors. Sociopathy, on the other hand, has its origins in social factors, such as childhood trauma, poor socialization and childhood abuse.
Main similarities between the sociopath and the psychopath
Sociopathy and psychopathy belong to the same category in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Both fall under antisocial personality disorders. People who suffer from this disorder tend to feel indifference towards the rights and feelings of other people, in addition to feeling disregard for the law.
Let's look at the behavioral characteristics displayed by both sociopaths and psychopaths:
- Disrespect for social norms.
- Habit of lying in order to get what they want.
- Contempt for the rights of others.
- Contempt for the suffering of others.
- Absence of remorse, though to varying degrees.
- Tendency to behave violently, although this is not a rule in either case.
Did you like this content? So try reading these too:
- Definition of Psychopath
- Definition of Sociopath
