The Difference between Sociopaths and Psychopaths
People all over the world are affected by mental illness whether it is depression, post traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, or antisocial disorders. Although many people understand the definition of most common mental illnesses, many people do not understand the extent of many antisocial disorders. Two of the most common antisocial disorders that people get confused are sociopathy and psychopathy. A key factor to understanding the differences between sociopaths and psychopaths is understanding the causes and symptoms of each disorder The causes and symptoms of sociopathy are very different from that of psychopathy. Sociopathy can be caused by a person’s environment or surroundings
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Because of a weak conscience many sociopaths also struggle to tell the truth consistently (“Profile of the Sociopath”). Although sociopaths can become very hostile, they are not the most dangerous out of all antisocial disorders. Psychopathy, the most dangerous of all antisocial disorders (Bonn), is very different from sociopathy. Different from the cause of sociopathy, psychopathy is caused by genetics. The part of the brain that is responsible for emotions is underdeveloped in most psychopaths (Bonn). Because psychopathy is a condition caused by genetics, many of the symptoms of psychopaths become evident between the ages of 2 and 5 (“Profile of the Sociopath”). The symptoms of psychopaths are also very evident in their everyday lives. Many psychopaths are very distant and hostile towards family members and people around them because they are very unreliable and are not able to form emotional attachments (Bonn). Not only are psychopaths distant and hostile ,but they are also willing to do whatever is necessary to get what they want whether it be pretending to be somebody they are not to gain someone’s trust, or even committing murder (“Profile of a Sociopath”). Psychopaths have many distinct differences from sociopaths, but along with their differences they also share many