×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.


image

The Infographics Show, Sociopath vs Psychopath - What's The Difference?

Sociopath vs Psychopath - What's The Difference?

Do you have an exalted sense of self?

Are you a compulsive liar?

Would you do just about anything to get you want?

If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, you might want to consult a professional

who can determine if you are a sociopath or a psychopath.

Both sociopaths and psychopaths share three common traits suggested by the questions above

– conceitedness, deceitfulness, and manipulation largely unchecked by moral conscience.

Some experts think sociopathy and psychopathy are the same and group them together under

the diagnostic term antisocial personality disorder or APD, while others argue that there

are significant differences between the two mental disorders.

We will examine some of these differences in this episode of The Infographics Show,

“Sociopath vs. Psychopath.”

The outward behavior that sociopaths and psychopaths display can be as different as night and day.

Sociopaths are more impulsive and irresponsible than psychopaths.

As psychologist Scott Bonn notes, sociopaths tend to “live on the fringes of society.”

They often can't hold down a job for long and can't settle down in one place.

They may travel extensively, but they are not sightseers.

If they can't find a legitimate work to pay for whatever they need, they may do shady

things like lie, cheat, and steal from people along the way.

Renowned con man Charles Ponzi lived in this manner.

Ponzi immigrated from Italy to America in 1903.

He supposedly said, “I landed in this country with $2.50 in cash and $1 million in hopes,

and those hopes never left me.”

According to the New England Historical Society, $2.50 was all that he had left after “having

gambled and drunk away” most of the $200 he had with him while on board the ship taking

him to America.

After arriving in Boston, he spent several years “working odd jobs in the Northeast.”

Described by one article as an “alleged sociopath,” he led a “life of lies”

that “was all about tricking rich people into investing in sham corporations.”

His International Reply Coupon scheme was the one where he used money from investors

to pay other investors, a form of fraud that became known as the Ponzi scheme.

According to biography.com, Ponzi spent 14 years in prison for this crime.

He was deported to Italy after being released from prison and ended up dying in Rio de Janeiro

in 1949.

In contrast, psychopaths have more self-control and are more calculating than sociopaths.

They blend into society more effectively than sociopaths because, as Bonn points out, they

are “often well educated and hold steady jobs.”

Not all psychopaths are violent or a threat to society, and some manage to channel their

need to control others into gainful employment.

They gravitate toward positions of authority and jobs requiring objective analysis and

decision-making.

According to a Time article, some professions with the most psychopaths include CEOs, lawyers,

surgeons, and police officers.

Oddly enough, chefs and salespeople also made the list.

Sociopaths have a slight edge over psychopaths when it comes to establishing meaningful relationships.

According to Bonn, “it is difficult but not impossible for sociopaths to form attachments

with others.”

They are “capable of empathy in certain limited circumstances but not in others”

and “with a few individuals but not others.”

Gary Ridgway is a good example of the sociopath's “limited” ability to feel empathy and

form emotional attachments.

Between 1982 and 2001, he “murdered at least 49 women in Washington state,” according

to biography.com.

One article reports that his victims were prostitutes and young runaways.

After killing them, Ridgway “often returned to his dumping grounds to have sex with his

victims' corpses.”

He also dumped some of their bodies in the Green River, which earned him the name of

the Green River Killer.

While Ridgway committed four of these horrible crimes, he was married to his third wife,

Judith Ridgway.

Although he targeted prostitutes because of his “hate” for them, he loved his wife

and had a good relationship with her.

In an interview six years after her husband went to prison, Judith Ridgway still had trouble

believing that her husband was a serial killer.

She described their life together as “loving” and “content.”

She said, “He made me feel like a newlywed every day.”

However, she had to face the truth about what her husband had done after she and the police

discovered evidence linking him to some of the murdered prostitutes.

She divorced Gary Ridgway after 16 years of marriage and has no contact with him today.

She told the interviewer, “I loved the man I knew, and I hate the man who took him away.”

In contrast, psychopaths are “unable to form emotional attachments or feel real empathy

with others” according to Bonn.

Emotions are foreign to them.

They know they should be feeling something, but they don't feel anything.

In his 1941 book called The Mask of Sanity, a psychiatrist named Hervey Cleckley provided

some insight into the mind of the psychopath when he wrote that “Beauty and ugliness,

except in a very superficial sense, goodness, evil, love, horror, and humor have no actual

meaning, no power to move him.”

This makes psychopaths capable of hurting others without any guilt or remorse.

Bonn states that psychopathy is the “most dangerous of all antisocial behaviors” because

psychopaths can “dissociate emotionally from their actions, regardless of how terrible

those actions may be.”

Psychopaths try to compensate for this impairment by being what a WebMD article calls “skilled

actors.”

They are charming and persuasive, and they are capable of faking emotions they can't

feel.

Notorious cult leader Jim Jones revealed his psychopathic mission to play whatever role

was necessary to win trust and manipulate others when he said, “What you need to believe

in is what you can see . . . If you see me as your friend, I'll be your friend.

If you see me as your father, I'll be your father, for those of you that don't have

a father . . . If you see me as your savior, I'll be your savior.

If you see me as your God, I'll be your God.”

A skilled orator, Jones combined idealistic rhetoric and overt and subtle coercion to

condition his followers to commit suicide by drinking a Kool-Aid type drink laced with

cyanide and Valium upon his command according to biography.com.

Another way psychopaths attempt to relate to others is to create a veneer of social

respectability to hide their dark side and any sinister behavior resulting from it.

This is an especially common strategy of psychopathic serial killers like John Wayne Gacy.

A summary of his court case noted his “double life”:

“Evidence showed that the defendant led a double life, engaging in charitable and

political activities at the same time he was committing a series of sadistic torture murders.

He enticed many young men to his home for homosexual liaisons, tying or handcuffing

his partners then strangling or choking them.

Gacy was a successful contractor, was active in the community, and often dressed up as

a clown for parties . . .”

Bonn states that different factors cause people to become sociopaths and psychopaths.

Some researchers think that sociopathy arises from childhood abuse and trauma.

It is a “learned” behavior arising from circumstance.

This is why sociopaths still maintain some moral conscience, some empathy, and some ability

to form emotional attachments, although they are all weak.

However, research suggests that psychopathy has a largely genetic component to it.

Bonn notes that psychopathy “is related to a physiological defect that results in

the underdevelopment of the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotions.”

Another report states that “brain scans of people with APD have shown low activity

in areas related to empathy, morality, and self-control.”

According to a Psychologia, sociopaths make up 4% of the general population, while psychopaths

make up about 1%.

However, these percentages are equivalent to millions of people, so it is quite possible

that you might meet a sociopath or psychopath one day.

Have you ever met a sociopath or psychopath?

What was this person like?

Let us know in the comments!

Also, be sure to check out our other video called Signs That YOU Are A Genius!

Thanks for watching, and, as always, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

See you next time!

Learn languages from TV shows, movies, news, articles and more! Try LingQ for FREE

Sociopath vs Psychopath - What's The Difference? Antisocial personality disorder||||| Sociopatico|contro|psicopatico|||Differenza 社会病質者||||| Soziopath vs. Psychopath - Was ist der Unterschied? Κοινωνιοπαθής vs Ψυχοπαθής - Ποια είναι η διαφορά; Sociópata frente a psicópata: ¿cuál es la diferencia? Sociopathe ou psychopathe - Quelle est la différence ? Sociopatico vs Psicopatico: qual è la differenza? ソシオパスとサイコパス、その違いは? Sociopatas ir psichopatas - koks skirtumas? Socjopata a psychopata - jaka jest różnica? Sociopata vs Psicopata - Qual é a diferença? Социопат и психопат - в чем разница? Sosyopat ve Psikopat - Aralarındaki Fark Nedir? Соціопат vs психопат - у чому різниця? 反社会者与精神病患者 - 有什么区别? 反社會者與精神病患 - 有什麼不同?

Do you have an exalted sense of self? ||||возвышенное|чувство||я ||||Elevated or grand|awareness|| ||||مبالغ فيه||| ||||esaltato|senso||sé stesso ||||고귀한||| Yüce bir benlik duygunuz var mı?

Are you a compulsive liar? |||компульсивный|лгун |||كاذب قه| |||강박적인| |||compulsivo|bugiardo compulsivo |||強迫的な| Вы навязчивый лжец? Zorlayıcı bir yalancı mısınız?

Would you do just about anything to get you want? |||||qualsiasi cosa||||

If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, you might want to consult a professional |||||||||||||consultare||professionista |||||||||||||相談する||

who can determine if you are a sociopath or a psychopath. ||определить|||||||| ||determinare||||||||

Both sociopaths and psychopaths share three common traits suggested by the questions above Оба||||обладают||общие|черты|предложенные|||| ||||condividono|tre|comuni|tratti|suggerite||||

– conceitedness, deceitfulness, and manipulation largely unchecked by moral conscience. الغرور|||||غير مقيد||| 자만심|속임수||||||| vanità|inganno||manipolazione|in gran parte|non controllata|||coscienza morale ||||||||moral awareness - Тщеславие, лживость и манипулирование, во многом не сдерживаемые моральным сознанием. - büyük ölçüde ahlaki vicdan tarafından kontrol edilmeyen kendini beğenmişlik, aldatma ve manipülasyon.

Some experts think sociopathy and psychopathy are the same and group them together under

the diagnostic term antisocial personality disorder or APD, while others argue that there |||||||اضطراب الشخصية المع||||| |diagnostico||||||||||| |||反社会的|パーソナリ|||反社会性パー||||それに対して|それに対して

are significant differences between the two mental disorders.

We will examine some of these differences in this episode of The Infographics Show, ||esamineremo||||differenze|||episodio|||Le Infografiche|spettacolo ||||||||||||インフォグラフィ|

“Sociopath vs. Psychopath.” Antisocial personality disorder||Antisocial personality disorder "Sosyopat ve Psikopat."

The outward behavior that sociopaths and psychopaths display can be as different as night and day. |внешнее|||||||||||||| |السلوك الظاهر|||||||||||||| |esterna|comportamento|||||mostrano||||||||

Sociopaths are more impulsive and irresponsible than psychopaths. |||||безответственные|| |||||غير مسؤول|| |||impulsivi||irresponsabili||

As psychologist Scott Bonn notes, sociopaths tend to “live on the fringes of society.” |||||||||||margins|| ||||osserva||tendono|||||margini|| Как отмечает психолог Скотт Бонн, социопаты, как правило, "живут на задворках общества".

They often can't hold down a job for long and can't settle down in one place. |||удерживать|||работу||||||||| |spesso||||||||||stabilirsi||||

They may travel extensively, but they are not sightseers. |||широко||||| ||||||||سياح معالم |potrebbero||in modo ampio|||||turisti

If they can't find a legitimate work to pay for whatever they need, they may do shady ||||||||||||||могут||нечестные дела |||||legal or valid||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||attività losche

things like lie, cheat, and steal from people along the way. |такие как||||воровать||||| ||||||||lungo||

Renowned con man Charles Ponzi lived in this manner. Famous|||||||| المحتال الشهير|||||||| rinomato|truffatore|imbroglione|||visse|||modo

Ponzi immigrated from Italy to America in 1903.

He supposedly said, “I landed in this country with $2.50 in cash and $1 million in hopes, 彼は|おそらく|言った|私|到着した|||国|||||||希望 |presumibilmente|||||||||||||speranze

and those hopes never left me.”

According to the New England Historical Society, $2.50 was all that he had left after “having ||||||||||||||aver avuto

gambled and drunk away” most of the $200 he had with him while on board the ship taking giocato d'||ubriaco|||||||||||a bordo|||sulla nave

him to America.

After arriving in Boston, he spent several years “working odd jobs in the Northeast.” |arrivato||Boston||trascorse|diversi|||lavori saltu||||

Described by one article as an “alleged sociopath,” he led a “life of lies” ||||||claimed to be||||||| ||||||المزعوم||||||| descritto|||articolo|||presunto|||condusse||||

that “was all about tricking rich people into investing in sham corporations.” ||||||||||fake or fraudulent| ||||||||||وهمية| ||||||||||fittizie|

His International Reply Coupon scheme was the one where he used money from investors ||Coupon di risposta||programma|||||||||investitori

to pay other investors, a form of fraud that became known as the Ponzi scheme. |||||||frode|||||||

According to biography.com, Ponzi spent 14 years in prison for this crime.

He was deported to Italy after being released from prison and ended up dying in Rio de Janeiro |||||||||||finì||||||

in 1949.

In contrast, psychopaths have more self-control and are more calculating than sociopaths. |al contrario|psicopatici||||||||calcolatori||

They blend into society more effectively than sociopaths because, as Bonn points out, they |si integrano||||in modo più efficace||||||Bonn sottolinea||

are “often well educated and hold steady jobs.” ||||||stabili|

Not all psychopaths are violent or a threat to society, and some manage to channel their |||||||||||||||그들의 |||||||minaccia|||||riescono a canalizzare||canalizzare la|loro

need to control others into gainful employment. |||||lavoro profic|occupazione retribuita

They gravitate toward positions of authority and jobs requiring objective analysis and |tendono verso||||||||analisi obiettiva||

decision-making.

According to a Time article, some professions with the most psychopaths include CEOs, lawyers, ||||||professioni|||||||

surgeons, and police officers. chirurghi|||

Oddly enough, chefs and salespeople also made the list. stranamente|abbastanza|||venditori|||| Как ни странно, в список также попали повара и продавцы.

Sociopaths have a slight edge over psychopaths when it comes to establishing meaningful relationships. |||leggero vantaggio|vantaggio||||||||significative|

According to Bonn, “it is difficult but not impossible for sociopaths to form attachments ||||||||||||formare delle|legami affettivi

with others.”

They are “capable of empathy in certain limited circumstances but not in others” loro|||||||limitate|||||

and “with a few individuals but not others.”

Gary Ridgway is a good example of the sociopath's “limited” ability to feel empathy and

form emotional attachments. |emotional|

Between 1982 and 2001, he “murdered at least 49 women in Washington state,” according

to biography.com.

One article reports that his victims were prostitutes and young runaways. ||||||||||fuggitivi

After killing them, Ridgway “often returned to his dumping grounds to have sex with his |||Ridgway|spesso||||luoghi di scarico|luoghi di scarico||||| Убив их, Риджуэй "часто возвращался на свои свалки, чтобы заняться сексом со своими

victims' corpses.”

He also dumped some of their bodies in the Green River, which earned him the name of

the Green River Killer.

While Ridgway committed four of these horrible crimes, he was married to his third wife,

Judith Ridgway.

Although he targeted prostitutes because of his “hate” for them, he loved his wife Несмотря на то, что он издевался над проститутками из-за своей "ненависти" к ним, он любил свою жену.

and had a good relationship with her.

In an interview six years after her husband went to prison, Judith Ridgway still had trouble In un|||||||||||||||

believing that her husband was a serial killer.

She described their life together as “loving” and “content.”

She said, “He made me feel like a newlywed every day.” ||||||||just married|| ||||||||sposata da poco||

However, she had to face the truth about what her husband had done after she and the police Tuttavia|||||||||||||||||

discovered evidence linking him to some of the murdered prostitutes.

She divorced Gary Ridgway after 16 years of marriage and has no contact with him today.

She told the interviewer, “I loved the man I knew, and I hate the man who took him away.”

In contrast, psychopaths are “unable to form emotional attachments or feel real empathy

with others” according to Bonn.

Emotions are foreign to them.

They know they should be feeling something, but they don't feel anything.

In his 1941 book called The Mask of Sanity, a psychiatrist named Hervey Cleckley provided |||||||정신의 정상성||||||

some insight into the mind of the psychopath when he wrote that “Beauty and ugliness,

except in a very superficial sense, goodness, evil, love, horror, and humor have no actual

meaning, no power to move him.”

This makes psychopaths capable of hurting others without any guilt or remorse. |||||||||||regret or guilt |||||||||||후회

Bonn states that psychopathy is the “most dangerous of all antisocial behaviors” because |||mental disorder|||||||||

psychopaths can “dissociate emotionally from their actions, regardless of how terrible

those actions may be.”

Psychopaths try to compensate for this impairment by being what a WebMD article calls “skilled

actors.”

They are charming and persuasive, and they are capable of faking emotions they can't ||||convincing|||||||||

feel.

Notorious cult leader Jim Jones revealed his psychopathic mission to play whatever role

was necessary to win trust and manipulate others when he said, “What you need to believe

in is what you can see . . . If you see me as your friend, I'll be your friend.

If you see me as your father, I'll be your father, for those of you that don't have

a father . . . If you see me as your savior, I'll be your savior. ||||||||||||protector ||||||||구세주||||

If you see me as your God, I'll be your God.”

A skilled orator, Jones combined idealistic rhetoric and overt and subtle coercion to ||||||persuasive language||open and direct|||forceful persuasion| ||연설가|||이상주의적|수사학||명백한|||강압|

condition his followers to commit suicide by drinking a Kool-Aid type drink laced with

cyanide and Valium upon his command according to biography.com.

Another way psychopaths attempt to relate to others is to create a veneer of social ||||||||||||false social front|| ||||||||||||겉모습||

respectability to hide their dark side and any sinister behavior resulting from it. ||||||||malevolent or harmful||||

This is an especially common strategy of psychopathic serial killers like John Wayne Gacy.

A summary of his court case noted his “double life”: В кратком изложении его судебного дела отмечается его "двойная жизнь":

“Evidence showed that the defendant led a double life, engaging in charitable and

political activities at the same time he was committing a series of sadistic torture murders.

He enticed many young men to his home for homosexual liaisons, tying or handcuffing |lured|||||||||||| ||||||||||성적 접촉|||

his partners then strangling or choking them. его партнеров, а затем душил или душил их.

Gacy was a successful contractor, was active in the community, and often dressed up as ||||건설업자||||||||||

a clown for parties . . .”

Bonn states that different factors cause people to become sociopaths and psychopaths.

Some researchers think that sociopathy arises from childhood abuse and trauma. ||||antisocial personality disorder||||||

It is a “learned” behavior arising from circumstance.

This is why sociopaths still maintain some moral conscience, some empathy, and some ability

to form emotional attachments, although they are all weak.

However, research suggests that psychopathy has a largely genetic component to it.

Bonn notes that psychopathy “is related to a physiological defect that results in

the underdevelopment of the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotions.” ||||||||||self-control|||

Another report states that “brain scans of people with APD have shown low activity

in areas related to empathy, morality, and self-control.”

According to a Psychologia, sociopaths make up 4% of the general population, while psychopaths

make up about 1%.

However, these percentages are equivalent to millions of people, so it is quite possible

that you might meet a sociopath or psychopath one day.

Have you ever met a sociopath or psychopath?

What was this person like?

Let us know in the comments!

Also, be sure to check out our other video called Signs That YOU Are A Genius!

Thanks for watching, and, as always, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

See you next time!