The psychopath and antisocial

It Is All the Same?

Many people claim that a sociopath, a psychopath and a person with antisocial personality disorder are the same people. Actually, they believe that all these people are suffering from a mutual problem. However, many scholars who are more into psychology and behavioral pathology claim that this is not true. Rather, there are distinctive features which clearly divide people with these disorders making their problems clearly visible through various unique symptoms which may easily be observed.

Speaking of psychopaths, they are known to be aggressive, ruthless, completely lacking a sense of empathy, being obsessed by controlling people and things, pathological liars and sadists. There are also many other characteristics which can help people notice the difference between these disorders. Read on in order to learn how.

Psychopathy Versus Antisocial Disorder

Apart from people with antisocial behavioral disorder, who have troubles fitting into the society due to shyness, confidence issues and other such factors, psychopaths move all this onto a different scale. Namely, they are something we call evil, prone to criminal and mischievous acts for personal gain, caring little for law, social norms or other people. Therefore, empathy makes the difference and is thereby a distinctive trait. Psychopaths, much like narcissists, are manipulators, who use other people for their personal gain, no strings attached, pushing them away once they get what they wanted.

Rights and obligations of others do not interest psychopaths. They have no sense of moral or justice codex of any sort. Urges, satisfactions and desires is what they need to fulfill, regardless of the tool they need to use.

Also, they feel no remorse after they harm others. They have rational explanations for their actions, suitable enough to make them accept what they did as righteous and justified. These people believe that this world is filled with completely good, vulnerable people who are to be used and exploited and completely bad people who are to be avoided since they cannot cope with other individuals who are much like themselves.

As it was mentioned above, psychopaths are usually criminals who often change their place of living and functioning so that they may use their mischievous plans on someone else. They lie, cheat, back-stab and are incapable of forming functional long-term relationships.

Therefore, the only mutual thing between the two disorders is the social restraint. Antisocial people have troubles forming relationships and socializing with other people. However, they are completely normal regarding their understanding of the social norms, empathy and other factors which do not exist in the world of a psychopath.