Describe The Characteristics Of A Sociopath

Sociopaths come in all shapes and sizes. Most people have come in contact with at least one at some point in their life. Estimates say one in every 25 people is a sociopath. The majority of people probably think of a sociopath as a psychotic criminal. This is not the case. Only 20 percent of male and female prison inmates are sociopaths. The majority of these people live normal lives and function well in society. One of the characteristics of a sociopath is they are unfazed by uninterrupted eye contact. This may seem aggressive or seductive to the other person, but is really just a form of manipulation by the sociopath. Another trait of a sociopath is the negative feeling toward any affection. The only physical contact the author
sought was violent contact. Lack of remorse and the love of deceit and manipulation are also characteristics of the sociopathic personality. The author had a very challenging upbringing. Her father was violent and her mother was indifferent. The children had to suffer with lack of food and basic care because of the narcissism of the father. He would spend all of their money on himself and leave them to find their own food. The author focused a lot of her time on trying to get under her father’s skin. She knew exactly which buttons to push and how to damage him the most. He apparently damaged her more. When her appendix burst and she had to have emergency surgery, he told her that the doctors were angry at her. Relationships are challenging for a sociopath. The author says she loves her family and friends and is a helpful person, but the thoughts in her head would be hard to normalize. Her constant thoughts of ruining people and having to fight the rage that boils up inside her are a never ending battle. It is surprising that most of the sociopaths are able to function normally and that there are not more acts of violence involving them.