What is a sociopath?
- April 30, 2024
- General
What is a sociopath?
by John M Oldham MD.
In today’s media, it’s not unusual for someone to be referred to as a “sociopath,” often accompanied by sensational news about the person’s crafty, deceptive, self-serving behavior. This is nothing new, since scoundrels have been around throughout history. In the 15th century, Machiavelli wrote his famous book, The Prince, in which he advocated that fraud and treachery are essential characteristics of ruthless leaders. Over time, this view became so well-known that “machiavellianism” became one of the ingredients of “The Dark Triad,” along with narcissism and psychopathy, referring to malevolent personality types in general. Is there a difference between sociopathy and psychopathy, since the terms often seem to be used interchangeably? Here’s what Britannica says: “To put the matter simplistically, psychopaths are born, and sociopaths are made” (https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-a-psychopath-and-a-sociopath-and-how-do-both-differ-from-narcissists). That’s how I think about it. Psychopathic individuals drew the unlucky straw at birth, perhaps by being genetically predisposed to become rule-breakers. Sociopathic individuals, on the other hand, may have had good-enough genes but were “inadequately socialized” developmentally. Those of us who are “hard-wired” for defiant, manipulative, exploitative behavior may find it hard to change, or even to want to change. Whereas those of us “taught” to be that way may have a shot at coming into the light, if we’re lucky enough to get a new and better life coach.
Neither of these types is designated “officially” as a personality disorder in the common professional diagnostic systems used today. Where would they show up in the language of NPSP25? Not so much in the realm of the normal, non-pathological personality styles, but as individuals with elements of a variety of the personality disorders, notably narcissistic, paranoid, antisocial, and sadistic.