A sociopath can be more than just the rapists and serial killers you see on the news. They can be your family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, or even your soul mate. Sociopaths are manipulative and charming. When you first meet them, you think they are well-groomed, but in reality, they will bury lies and secrets beneath the mask they show to society of a well-mannered person just like everyone else.

If you are wondering what is sociopath, then the answer is complicated as this is actually an incredibly complex personality disorder. The condition is hard to diagnose due to the wide range of maladaptive behavior sociopaths display. Instead of being a single trait, sociopathy is a syndrome, a whole cluster of symptoms related to each other. A certain number of these symptoms must be present for a person to be diagnosed as a sociopath.

What is a sociopath? As an essential step to understand sociopath, getting to know the definition is necessary. Sociopaths are people who have antisocial personality disorder and demonstrate a pattern of disregard that is pervasive, particularly in terms of the feelings and rights of others.

Part 1: What is a Sociopath ?

Most people consider sociopaths to be criminals, but while it is possible, this is not a requirement for a diagnosis as having antisocial personality disorder. Instead, the patient must show a specific set of behaviors consistently (both in set circumstances and over time) and be over 18.