List of behaviours that could help identify a sociopath / psychopath

 List of behaviours that could help identify a sociopath / psychopath, as presented in Cleckey, Mark of Sanity (1941):

1. Superficial charm and good intelligence

2. Absence of delusions and other signs of irrational thinking

3. Absence of "nervousness" or psychoneurotic manifestations

4. Unreliability

5. Untruthfulness and insincerity

6. Lack of remorse or shame

7. Inadequately motivated antisocial behaviour

8. Poor judgement and failure to learn from experience

9. Pathological egocentricity and incapacity for love

10. General poverty in major affective relations

11. Specific loss of insight

12. Unresponsiveness in general interpersonal relations

13. Fantastic and uninviting behaviour, with drink and sometimes without

14. Suicide rarely carried out

15. Sex life impersonal, trivial, and poorly integrated

16. Failure to follow any life plan.


Cited through Lies and Liars (Dr. Gini Graham Scott), pp. 28-29

Also from the same book: "(...) while some sociopaths might be drawn to engage in criminal behaviours or become psychotic, most others might not." (p. 30) / "(...) victims can easily be swayed by a sociopath who outwardly appears to be a compassionate, caring, trustworthy individual..." (p. 51). Remember, very often sociopaths are superficially charming and social people, very popular in their area of influence (workplace, school, family, organisation, etc.). Therefore, when they strike a victim they seldom do it alone, they always have a team of "followers" and "supporters" to help justifying or covering their sociopathic behaviour, sometimes even whole institutions, as it was my personal case in the past. You will need a lot of strength and determination if you decide to confront sociopaths and their web of social relations, be aware of it.

Some further advice from Lies and Liars: "Don't think you can help the person to change ["the person" refers to the sociopath], which is one trap that people in a long-term relationship  with a sociopath often make. They think that if they can talk to the person about what has been wrong in the relationship in the past and what they hope to change for the future, things will be different. But sociopaths generally don't want to change; instead you will find that despite assurances to the contrary, things generally won't change, and the sociopath may use one of their last strategies by getting you to help and pity them. But if you accept, that makes you vulnerable to still more manipulations by the sociopath, who has found that the pity play works on you." (p. 167) / "Don't let the sociopath try to go back into your good graces by offering to reform if you give him or her another chance. This offer to change is another common ploy to continue the relationship, but after another honeymoon period, things may often go back to the way things were. Then, too, since sociopaths are so good at putting on the charm and manipulating others, this offer can be a way to set you up to further harm you(...). (p. 168)

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