They do not show their emotions and do not respect others, they lie and insult. Their criticism and praise are equally poisonous, and intercourse is like trying to hug a hedgehog - it will still hurt. However, they often occupy management positions, have many friends and connections in business circles. The good news is that people who are called “scum” behind the eyes are scientifically called sociopaths. The bad news: they won't change. Never.
Who is a sociopath
A sociopath is a person whose personality pathology manifests itself only in the social sphere. But the definition is too beautiful, it represents a sociopath almost as a victim of circumstances. In the life of sociopaths are people with undeveloped emotional sphere and quite specific morality, which allows them to go on different crimes exclusively for entertainment. Moreover, sociopaths can be completely uneducated or highly intelligent individuals.
Sociopaths have no emotional intelligence and no idea of social norms: what is acceptable in communication and what is taboo. They do not feel the subtleties of behaviortherefore, track, jag and repeat behavioral patterns. Despite the emotional deafness, they skillfully reproduce friendliness, seduction, repentance, shame, sense of humor. To recognize and track sociopaths in life, you need to be not only attentive, but theoretically savvy.
What is sociopathy
Sociopathy is a dissocial personality disorder, which is manifested in the disregard of social norms of behavior, lack of guilt and compassion, inability to build attachment to build long-term strong relationships. May be a consequence genetic predispositionbut most often is consequence of deep psychological trauma.
Sociopathy is often confused with energy vampirism, protest behavior, narcissism, lack of upbringing, disturbances in the volitional sphere (gambling, for example), a defensive reaction in the form of sarcasm or cynicism. Although of each type of behavior in a sociopathic personality, there are separate features. More often - the worst.
History of sociopathy research
According to statistics, about 4% of people are sociopaths, most of them are men. Moreover, a kind of diagnosis can only be made after the age of majority. There are very few explanatory studies on the topic of sociopathy, there are no documented cases of cure or correction of behavior. More often, these are third-party observations that allow you to create a collective portrait of dissocial disorder. After all, to unleash a seasoned sociopath on research is impossible.
Until the mid-19th century, the disorder was called "moral insanity", was later replaced by psychopathy and sociopathy. Today, personality disorder does not apply to clinical diseases, therefore psychotherapists are more interested - researchers of personality psychology and behavioral patterns. Criminologists are also interested in it, because sociopaths with a characteristic lack of guilt are considered potential criminals.
The most cited and famous works on the topic:
- As a separate phenomenon sociopathy from the point of view of jurisprudence first described the English psychiatrist James Pritchard (1786-1848). In scientific studies, Pritchard developed the theory of moral insanity, which forces a person to commit crimes. The pathology itself was considered hereditary, but according to the researcher, social factors: education, level of economic development, migration, and others, served as a kind of lever for crime.
- The first Russian researcher of antisocial behavior was a professor-psychiatrist. Gannushkin P. B. (1875-1933). He studied people who do not care about the absence of social emotions: sympathy for others, the sense of duty, shame, guilt, indifference to censure. For this type of personality, the term was introduced: emotional dullness. P. B. Gannushkin considered this disorder to be the result of mixing distorted biological and social points of view.
- American psychoanalyst, Ph.D. Nancy McWilliams (genus. 1950) has written several books on asocial behavior. According to the author, the main pleasure for people of a sociopathic type is the ability to “step over others.” Therefore, they choose professions at the knock of risk and power, love of excitement and danger in their pure form: in politics, the army, religious cults, commerce, entertainment.
- Popular psychiatrist, founder of transactional analysis Eric Bern (1910-1970) broke a single concept of sociopathy into 2 types: latent and active. Latent sociopaths show less antisocial tendencies, but only because they obey voluntarily accepted rules. They have almost no facial expressions and gestures, and their face looks more like a mask. Active psychopaths skillfully mask the poverty of emotions with rich mimicry, imitation of experiences.
How to recognize a sociopath
Recognizing a sociopath is possible only with prolonged intercourse, since it does not look different from other people. It's all about the psyche. Sociopaths are skilled actors and manipulators. The inability to experience emotions allows them to observe everything from the side with cold calculation. Having connected to the observations knowledge of psychology and artistic abilities, they know for sure: what kind of feeling you need to “turn on” at the moment in order to tap the weak points of the interlocutor. But sometimes in a desire to boast of asocial behavior, sociopaths forget about the game. That's how they declassify themselves.
To recognize a sociopath on distant approaches, you should pay attention to 7 obvious signs of an asocial personality:
- Rude and insulting without any reason. And the insulting word for the interlocutor can slip through the conversation without a reason. Having received a stunned reaction, the sociopath immediately presents it as a joke. He is not going to apologize. And if he apologizes, he will turn him into a farce.
- Every time changes the style of communication for no apparent reason. One day, he is able to talk good-naturedly with his interlocutor, on the other, to insult them in the presence of colleagues or strangers, and on the third, to turn on the charm at full capacity to ask for a service, as if nothing had happened.
- Prone to emotional and physical abuse. Violence manifests itself on the verbal level: threats, constant criticism. Memories of past incidents of physical violence are accompanied by accusations towards the victim. Often threats are translated into a joke, but the impression leaves the most unpleasant.
- Does not hide hard gender differences in communication. In the conversation allows for offensive statements about people of the opposite sex. In a relationship infinitely jealous and suspicious, the chosen one seeks to isolate from the environment, to subjugate his influence.
- In any failure blames the environment. The absence of shame and repentance allows a sociopath to commit the most terrible acts and calmly transfer all sins to others. Even in his own failures, he blames others. Duty phrase: "You pissed me off (brought, made me mad)"he shifts the responsibility to another person.
- All merit ascribes to himself. Any achievements - only his achievements. The sociopath loves to talk about them endlessly. Moreover, with subsequent references feats increase many times overgrown with incredible, but rather believable details.
- He constantly lies. Excellent memory and intelligence help him to memorize the smallest details and not to be confused in the testimony. He often lies about his state of health to justify failure, to avoid responsibility, or to devote his part of work to other employees.
Several of these qualities may also appear in "ordinary" people. But for sociopaths, they are bundled and manifest themselves in full force. By recognizing a sociopath as early as possible, you can minimize your risks and master the necessary scenarios when communicating in time.
How to survive if communication with a sociopath is inevitable
For a long time it was believed that the victim unconsciously provokes his pursuer, and then - receives some benefits from the violence. In this light, sociopaths seem to be almost “forest nurses” capable of improving society. In fact, a sociopath is a tyrant whose victim could be anyone: an elderly person, a child, a new work colleague, a spouse. Some respect is given only to a psychologically or physically strong partner. In order not to become a target of an aggressor, you should heed the advice of psychologists:
- Do not be frank. Often we try to please the person and we blur our secrets. Even worse - strangers. When dealing with a sociopath, the phrase "everything you say can be used against you" works 100%. Any little thing that you even forget, will come out at the most inopportune moment.
- Do not expect that he will change with you. Some women like to wear a “savior's cap” and start re-educating a bad person. Or amuse themselves with illusions that with them he is not as bad as with the others. Yes, it is difficult to resist the pressure and charm of a sociopath. But later his essence will still manifest.
- Do not argue about good and justice. It's useless. Nothing but contempt you get. In dealing with a sociopath, you can restrainedly make it clear that you appreciated his ability to manipulate people, but this number will not work with you. If you do not respond to provocations, it will not be interesting to play with you. Sociopath quickly get bored and fall behind.
- Minimize communication and warn others. If you find it difficult to resist the aggressor, you just need to keep communication to a minimum. At work - limited to business conversations. And even better - by correspondence, so that later there is evidence that you are right. Warn relatives or close friends about communication with an asocial person. This will help them not to fall under the influence of the manipulator.
For sociopaths established a reputation for unpleasant types of communication. But in professional terms, they often have no equal. And they achieve success due to non-trivial character traits, which will be very useful for their own career growth.
What can you learn from a sociopath
Sociopaths are ruthless and deaf to the feelings of others. At the same time they are intelligent, cool, energetic, fearless. It is these qualities that often help them become top managers. If you can’t completely avoid communicating with asocial people, you should stop worrying about their "svolochnaya" nature and try to adopt business skills. And at the right time - to include the "sociopathic regime" in order to become the master of the situation and build your own career.
- Ability to turn off emotions. Experienced negotiators know that uncontrolled emotions are harbingers of loss. After all, they take a lot of energy, provoke fatigue, dull intuition. Therefore, the ability to enter into transactions on favorable terms, knock out discounts are possible only in a cold mind.
- The ability to get to the bottom of the truth. Sometimes we get rejected, stew, feel free to ask about its reasons. Sociopaths such doubts are unknown. They are able to bring a person to a white-hot, but at the same time clarify for themselves all points of interest. Sometimes for complete clarity, the question "why?" Is repeated several times.
- The ability to say "no". Often we can not refuse a person because we are afraid to offend him. Sociopaths never act to the detriment of their own interests. They know how to refuse, reject everything that they do not need. Sometimes it is worth observing the reaction of other people to failure, to be sure: the consequences are not as devastating as we draw ourselves.
Findings:
- In the human language, a sociopath is not just a bastard, but a certified bastard.
- Sociopathy is not a clinical disorder, therefore it cannot be forcibly treated.
- Sociopathy and criminality are overlapping but not equivalent concepts.
- Recognizing a sociopath is difficult, but possible. And recognizing - it is worth warning about his close friends and relatives.
- People without conscience exist.
- Any of us can become the object of interest of an asocial person. You can resist the attack, showing calmness, coldness of mind and a sequence of actions.
- "Sociopathic regime" will help to adopt some business skills and include them to build your own career.
