In today’s society, “sociopath” and “psychopath” are used as interchangeable terms for “crazy”. I frequently hear others alternating between the two, and I often find myself doing it as well. While society has continued to combine the words, the scientific community has continued to find a larger difference between the two.
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, it lists sociopathy and psychopaths as Antisocial Personality Disorders (ASPD). People with Antisocial Personality Disorder are categorized by heartless and exploitative behavior and by a lack of empathy or remorse. A person with this disorder shows a prevalent pattern of disregard of the rights of other.
Dictionary.com defines the term “sociopath”
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Psychopathy is thought to be caused by a mixture of genetic and chemical imbalances. Psychopaths do not have the proper neurological frameworks to develop a sense of morality and ethics. Psychopaths also have traits the rest of society does not typically have. A psychopath usually has a grandiose self-worth. They think very highly of themselves, to the point that they are often seen as arrogant and cocky. They have a excessive need for thrilling and exciting stimulation, which they achieve by taking chances and doing things that are risky. Psychopaths have a lack of remorse or guilt and a lack of empathy, which is why they are easily able to be pathological liars.
While sociopathy and psychopathy are two completely different disorders, they are quite similar. People who are sociopaths or psychopaths tend to be charming, even though they are unable to empathize naturally with others. Both sociopaths and psychopaths feel no empathy towards others. They tend to be pre-occupied with their own thoughts and have no time to feel empathetic towards others. Both sociopaths and psychopaths feel absolutely no remorse or guilt about their behavior, which allows them to commit heinous crimes with no emotional