The Cambridge Dictionary defines sociopath as “a person who is completely unable or unwilling to behave in a way that is acceptable to the society.” According to Martha Stout, the Harvard Psychologist and author of “ The Sociopath Next Door”, one in every 25 people is a sociopath.
What is a high functional sociopath? Well, they’re not who you think them to be.
People often mistaken them for the conn men or some serial killers but you might be astounded to know that you might have had an encounter with one of their kind at least once in your life.
Are you dating a sociopath?
It’s hard to spot the sociopaths more often because of their charming nature. However, there are some indicative signs that might help you discover whether or not you’re dating a sociopath.
Here’s a compilation of 10 signs which point out towards the fact that you’re dating a sociopath.
Table of Contents (Quick Navigation)
- 1. They Are Quite the Charmer
- 2. They Lack Empathy
- 3. They Don’t Seem to Believe What They Are Saying
- 4. You Can’t Stay Mad at Them for Long
- 5. They Don’t Have Many Close Friends
- 6. You Can’t Count on Them
- 7. They Are Often Jobless
- 8. They’re Spending Your Money
- 9. They Have an Oversized Ego
- 10. They Are Mysteriously Calm in Dangerous Situations
- 11. They Live by the Principle of Pleasure
- 12. They Have Intense Eyes
- 13. They Disregard the Norms of the Society
- Conclusion
1. They Are Quite the Charmer
Sociopaths are often known for their gregarious nature. They are quite sociable and therefore, they are known for wooing everyone who’s around them. They are the masters of the art of flattery.
However, not every charming guy is a sociopath. That’s why it’s important to look for the other signs too.
2. They Lack Empathy
If you’re dating a sociopath, chances are that he might disregard your feelings. You’ll never find them being apologetic and neither will they care enough to ask for a reason about why you’re down in the dumps.
They lack empathy to such an extent that they might get in a row with one of your closest friends or someone from your immediate family, and just at the other moment not seem to care about it. To worsen things up and to put you in the bad eye instead, they might even try to shift the blame for you and accuse you of trying to make them feel bad about the situation.
3. They Don’t Seem to Believe What They Are Saying
Do you sometimes get the vibe that the person you’re dating is himself dubious of what he’s saying?
He might tell you that he loves you but his action might prove things to be on the contrary. Believe it or not, sociopaths have an expertise in lying.
Don’t believe everything that they tell you.
4. You Can’t Stay Mad at Them for Long
They are so charismatic and ridiculously charming that you won’t be able to keep your fury alive for long enough.
They will smoothly find a way to please you, courtesy their charmer attitude.
5. They Don’t Have Many Close Friends
Sociopaths may be the life of any party and people might hover around them wherever they go, but they don’t have many close friends because they know that are susceptible to hurt people.
If a person has none to a few close friends, they could be a sociopath.
6. You Can’t Count on Them
Sociopaths are so self-absorbed that they completely neglect the responsibilities they have towards someone who is partially or wholly dependent on them.
They often forget things and leave you feeling disappointed. They neither take accountability for their actions nor are they attentive towards their responsibilities.
7. They Are Often Jobless
Sociopaths can’t hold down a job and that leaves them being unemployed for a lot longer than you can even imagine.
Their attitude is to be blamed for their terminal unemployment but they put the false accusations on everyone around them except for themselves.
8. They’re Spending Your Money
Sociopaths feel entitled to but not liable for your possessions. They use your credit cards and slip their hands into your wallet but they never say a word about paying you back or how they are indebted towards you.
If your partner exhibits the same traits, he might as well be a sociopath.
9. They Have an Oversized Ego
Sociopaths are known to lie just for the sake of lying. Manipulation is their armor. That’s what they are well equipped at. They are pathological liars. Warning: Don’t fall into their wicked trap!
10. They Are Mysteriously Calm in Dangerous Situations
Whether it be a car crash or any other dangerous situation, nothing seems to affect the sociopaths. They are eerily calm regardless of the magnitude of the danger they face.
Whilst any other ordinary human would lose their sh*t and feel anxious provided they were in that situation, the sociopaths exhibit the behavior right to the contrary.
11. They Live by the Principle of Pleasure
Sociopaths are the ultimate pleasure seekers. They are the go-getters when it comes to seeking pleasure. They come and then disappear in thin air right when their purpose is met with.
They can go to extreme lengths to make you crave for physical intimacy with them and once they get what they want- BAM! They disappear!
12. They Have Intense Eyes
Sociopaths are known to be the kind of people who don’t have a problem with having uninterrupted eye-contacts with people who they don’t even know.
They never look away and avoid eye-contact. They maintain it as long as they can and try to play the game of seduction right through their eyes.
13. They Disregard the Norms of the Society
Sociopaths aren’t sociable people. They have to rebel against even the most decent societal norm. They have to win in every argument and their egoistic attitude keeps them aloof from the other people who live in the same society as they do.
To cut the long story short, they don’t come off as likable people. But you can’t spot them right on because they are also the masters of deceit. They might as well hide behind the mask of pretense like I earlier mentioned, and you might never get to know who they really are.
Conclusion
If your partner portrays similar traits then he is a sociopath. It entirely depends on you whether you want to call it off or want to continue dating them regardless of how harsh they might be at a certain turn in life.
However, be careful whilst ending things because as they say, sociopaths can neither handle criticism nor can they face rejection.
Handle with care, that will be my ultimate advice.