They're out there . . .

They account for about four percent of our population.  We don’t recognize them because they look normal and blend flawlessly in to our society.  Most crime thrillers or true crime books could not exist without them.  We love to hate them.  They scare us.  They fascinate us.  Who am I talking about? 

 

The sociopath. 

 

I just finished reading a book on the subject, and it unsettled me as much as it fascinated.  What exactly is a sociopath?  The official definition reads:  “One who is affected with a personality disorder marked by antisocial behavior.”   The more proletarian definition is basically someone who does not have a conscience.  Pretty scary thought.  These individuals can do anything—ANYTHING—and not feel the slightest tinge of guilt or remorse.  Things ranging from lying to a friend all the way to killing someone, and not feel anything.

 

Can you imagine going through life without a conscience?  Can you imagine living in a world in which lying is as easy and acceptable as telling the truth?  A world in which killing the neighbor’s pesky cat [or the neighbor himself!] is as easy as swatting a fly or stepping on a bug?  Most people can’t imagine.  In fact, most people don’t want to imagine. 

 

What’s even more unsettling is that these people exist undetected for the most part.  To put it into perspective, think about this:  If you know one hundred people, about four of those people are sociopaths.  Of course, not all sociopaths are killers or even criminals.  Many lead relatively “normal” lives.  But their brains are wired differently than ours. 

 

What do we know about the sociopath?  They exist in relatively vast numbers.  They’re out there, living and working amongst us.  People with absolutely zero conscience, zero compassion.  How do you recognize them?  The author of the book asserts that one trait almost every sociopath displays is the need for people to feel sorry for him.  Surprised?  Don’t be.  Sympathy can be a powerful tool when it comes to manipulation.

 

If you suspect there is a sociopath in your life, I have one recommendation:  run for your life.

Comments

[April R]

I've wanted to run. Many, many times.:) But I've been known to be anti-social, so maybe....NAHHHHHH.