Similarities Between Psychopaths and Sociopaths: The Same Difference

Before I tell about Psychopaths and Sociopaths, I want to run an psychological mind test with you. Imagine you are walking on the road alone and you see a man standing on the sidewalk of the street. That man is looking at you and tries to strike a conversation while you stop by for some groceries. He comes across as charming and funny.

He is like a gentleman around you and even offers to carry your bags for you. You politely refuse and you two part ways. Getting your mind off of him for the rest of the day is impossible for you. You start to feel that this whole ‘Stranger Danger’ thing is blown out of proportion and that good stranger does exist.

After a hard day’s work, you switch on your TV to catch up on some news. You see the headlines, “Psychopath on the loose!” Stories of his gruesome murders start doing the rounds. His fake charm and wicked sense of humor never fail to impress. He targeted young women and the elderly who often fell for his ‘goody-two-shoes’ nature.

News channels show his picture. He looks eerily familiar. You slowly realize that it is the same man from the store. You feel numb. It’s like you have got a second chance at life.

While this story is a reality as well, you can see how the same man passes by two different terms. Is there a similarity between these two terms? Can we use them interchangeably?

One thing that is common in both of these in the above story is the individual’s behaviour pattern. Both, the sociopaths and psychopaths are masters of pretense. They will make sure that you believe that they are charming and sensitive until the time you fall for them.

Let’s learn some more about Psychopaths and Sociopaths:

Who is a Sociopath?

Sociopathic symptoms include:

1. Tendency to lie
2. Steal
3. Breaking laws
4. Disregard for right and wrong
5. Manipulative
6. Cold and callous behaviour
7. Lacks conscience
8. Lacks empathy for others’ feelings
9. Poor at maintaining healthy relationships.
10. Display of violent behaviour

Now let us know who is a psychopath.

Psychopath: Meaning:

Psychopathy is also a mental disorder wherein a person is a poor judge of his actions and their consequences. These people, while committing a crime are ‘in the moment’. Their small acts of negligence often result in a big blow up of heinous crimes.

If this behaviour goes unchecked from a young age, then this results in some of the heinous criminals in the history of mankind.

Also See: Psychological Facts About Love

Examples of Sociopaths/Psychopaths

1. Ed Gein (known as Butcher of Plainfield)
2. Charles Manson (head of the infamous Manson Family murders)
3. Ted Bundy (killed over 30 people in the USA. Weapon of choice: slyness and charm.
4. Richard Ramirez (called ‘The Night Stalker’)
5. Jack the Ripper (left his victims on full public display)
6. Jeffrey Dahmer (appeared very polite and innocent. Was not just a killer but a cannibal too)
7. The Zodiac Killer (The Hollywood movie ‘Zodiac’ is based on the killer and his affinity to put clues of his murders in puzzles that he published in various media outlets)

So, what’s the difference?

Well, the difference is, not much really. The reason is that the environment that both these individuals grow up in is the same. They might show slight difference in their natures but the essence of their behaviour does not differ.

A sociopath might even think for a bit before doing a particular act, but a psychopath doesn’t. However, both have the same triggers in their behavior. Both have faced traumatic events in their childhood, the nature of which are the same.

Conclusion

Both even share the same symptoms as mentioned above. It can be safely said that these terms can be used interchangeably. That is also why many psychologists and detectives do not go into the depths to differentiate between these terms as they are, in their essence, the same.

Webmd post on Psychopaths and Sociopaths: Read Here