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Sympathy For Sociopaths?

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posted on Sep, 29 2014 @ 05:28 AM
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a reply to: Astrocyte

Are you saying you believe someone is a sociopath simply because they believe in the constitutional right to bear arms?

Seriously?

I will say that is a COMPLETELY separate topic than psychopathy. Also, I will say, that it is impossible to diagnose someone with a mental disorder from seeing one television interview. Perhaps he was nervous etc. You cannot make such a diagnosis of someone from your living room - not even a trained psychiatrist can for goodness sake!

I don't have sympathy for the psychopaths and sociopaths of this world, but neither am I going to diagnose people - without license or knowledge - from seeing them speak for 5 minutes on television!



posted on Sep, 29 2014 @ 05:38 AM
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originally posted by: ToneDeaf

There is no 'why' "they cut themselves off from feeling sympathy", they
have none to begin with and never will,


It seems you are confusing "sociopathy" with "psychopathy".

Besides various differences in behavior, it is currently accepted that


A psychopath is always a psychopath; genetic traits or chemical makeup causes the person to lack the ethics and empathy most of us have. Signs that something is not quite right with the person are generally visible from a very young age. A sociopath, however, often becomes one as a product of his or her upbringing. Environmental factors such as abuse or a cold, difficult childhood can cause a person to emotionally shut down and gradually devolve into sociopathy.

Difference between sociopaths and psychopaths



The cause of psychopathy is different than the cause of sociopathy . It is believed that psychopathy is the result of “nature” (genetics) while sociopathy is the result of “nurture” (environment). Psychopathy is related to a physiological defect that results in the underdevelopment of the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotions. Sociopathy, on the other hand, is more likely the product of childhood trauma and physical/emotional abuse. Because sociopathy appears to be learned rather than innate, sociopaths are capable of empathy in certain limited circumstances but not in others, and with a few individuals but not others.

How to tell a sociopath from a psychopath





Not submitting to them is one issue, not fanning their ego is another,
anything else unfortunately end up enabling.
Sympathy is their bait, that is how serial killers get their victims.


It is the bait, used to "catch" people who are primarily lead by their emotions.

This is the typical argument I come up against with people who claim, "if I feel anything for my enemy, then that is the same as giving in."

Consider it this way-

Do you have emotions or drives sometimes that you decide to not follow or obey? That you decide to say "no" to internally?

If so, then even the emotions of others that you feel (that then enter you and become part of your own) you can say "no" to!

The difference to an observer is often not even evident. The person who is cut off from their feelings, and standing there saying no,
and the person who is very conscious of their feelings, and still standing there saying no.

-looks the same. Has the same result for the person they are saying no to.
The only difference is the effect it has on the speaker- how self and other aware they become or remain.

Cutting yourself off from your empathic abilities is not the answer. Being a master of your emotions is.


It is perfectly possible to feel sympathy for a sociopathic Narcissist, and simultaneously put them into a psychiatric hospital, or prison. We've done it. Sympathy and empathy do not disable wisdom. They can co-exist.
edit on 29-9-2014 by Bluesma because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 29 2014 @ 06:13 AM
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originally posted by: Bluesma
Cutting yourself off from your empathic abilities is not the answer. Being a master of your emotions is.
Totally makes sense, I hear you.
From empathy there is wisdom,
from mastering emotions there is ethics.
Empathy and emotions are not the same.


. . . time for some shut eye , peace



posted on Sep, 29 2014 @ 06:22 AM
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The following is my opinion as a member participating in this discussion.


originally posted by: Astrocyte
Conservatives seem to represent that pole of people who can think just fine - very sophisticatedly in fact- but who nervertheless are dissociated at a fundamental level; their sense of connection with others and their concern for people "beyond their immediate kin" is surpisingly absent. Why?

As a therapist ...


Did I just read that correctly? Conservatives are all unable to show concern for people beyond their immediate kin (the inference being that they are therefore sociopathic)?? You say that you are a therapist but you've let your own politics and bias enter into your therapy and reasoning.

"Conservatives" run Catholic charities, Catholic hospitals, Baptist hospitals, Methodist hospitals, the Salvation Army, and Church based orphanages in third world countries (we adopted from one of them). Liberals and Conservatives statistically give equally to charity . They walk side by side in 'Walk for the Cure' cancer walks and they both donate to food banks and serve in soup kitchens together. They both donate to Good Will and other charitable institutions. Conservatives and liberals volunteer next to each other in schools and with charities all over this country and all over the world. Conservatives and liberals both help neighbors and friends no matter political leanings or religious beliefs. To attempt to bring politics into this is wrong.


The problem is, Cody, who speaks with a smile and devilish twinkle in his eye - all inications of narcissism and empathic deficits - nevertheless insists that he has right; he has a right.

Just because a person has a smile and a twinkle in their eye doesn't make them 'narcissistic or sociopathic'. This fella wants to do something that runs counter to your political beliefs so you 'diagnose' him in with a sociopathic tendency long distance on the internet. That's just wrong.

As an ATS Staff Member, I will not moderate in threads such as this where I have participated as a member.



posted on Sep, 29 2014 @ 09:07 AM
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Honest people tend to believe that other people are honest, and caring.

Dishonest people know this and use it as a tool to gain from others.

Honest people give back to their communities.

Dishonest people do not.

Is there such a thing as an honest sociopath?



posted on Sep, 29 2014 @ 11:18 AM
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originally posted by: loveguy

Is there such a thing as an honest sociopath?



Interesting question.

How many times have you bent the truth a little bit (or maybe even told an outright lie) because you were concerned about what someone thought of you, or because you didn't want them to feel unhappy or worried?

Someone who doesn't care about another person's feelings has no need to do that.

In many ways, a sociopath might be more honest than you or I - it all depends on the individual. And if it depends on the individual then it's not really an issue of sociopathy, just an issue of individual differences.



posted on Sep, 30 2014 @ 11:48 AM
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WOW... so I am a sociopath and have been diagnosed as so. Id like to start by saying that we are not evil and that we DO "feel" just not in the same way everyone else does.
The evil twinkle in the eyes with no feelings, wanting to demise the world for the fun of it, is a trait of a psychopath not a sociopath. Please do not lump them together. We can feel pain, happiness, sadness, ect. But ONLY if it has a direct link to us. We just cannot empathize with others.
For example, a friends parent dies, yes I KNOW its sad but I will not ever FEEL sad since it does not relate to me, I simply do not feel the pang of sadness that most would for their friend. But I will put in an effort in to show that i "feel" bad. Since it would not look right if i didn't. This comes from years of carefully observing others in situations where I know I will not have the proper response. I know the feeling of sad so I can pretend to empathize but I really could careless if I wanted to. My whole life I spend pretending to care but I don't have to. But you know what would happen if I didn't. Nothing! People would just think Im a b****. But then Id get no where in life and career and I am intelligent enough to see that.
We don't get off being evil. quite the opposite, honestly if I could be myself and react to situations like I am programmed then the only people that would be "hurt" would be the people that are looking for emotional comfort when I would have nothing to give.
So before you start lumping different disorders together like psychopaths, narcissist, ect. with sociopaths, please do your research and learn that they are all very very different.



posted on Sep, 30 2014 @ 05:42 PM
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originally posted by: Stuprimori
So before you start lumping different disorders together like psychopaths, narcissist, ect. with sociopaths, please do your research and learn that they are all very very different.


Unfortunately, most people's experience of psychopathy and sociopathy is limited to watching a few thrillers on late night TV. Every mentally ill person is just waiting for an opportunity to kill and rape, according to some folk.

I should also point out that the "evil twinkle" and "wanting to demise the world for the fun of it" is not necessarily a trait of psychopathy, any more than it is a trait of sociopathy.



posted on Oct, 1 2014 @ 08:02 PM
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Just as it is natural to feel sympathy for someone who is sick in body, it is even more natural to have sympathy for someone who is sick in mind. A person who is sick in body can not help it, but someone who is sick in mind is poisoning themselves by their own self-will, though they may not be fully aware of how destructive this is to themselves. In this regard it is understandable to not feel sympathy for those who feel no sympathy for others (sociopaths) but the truth is that these people are even more sick than those who suffer bodily illness. Their own diseased mind is their punishment, so having hatred of them is not necessary. To quote the philosopher Jim Carrey, in Liar Liar, when the judge tries to hold him in contempt, he replies, "I hold myself in contempt." The sociopath has no sympathy for anyone, that is their punishment. Further hatred of them does not even come near to the punishment they give themselves.

On another note, not having sympathy for the sociopath means that you are like the sociopath (not having sympathy for others). The greatest evil is when an evil person makes a good person evil by stooping to their level.



posted on Oct, 2 2014 @ 02:38 PM
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a reply to: jcarmen
Hi, and welcome to ATS.

The sociopath has no sympathy for anyone, that is their punishment. Further hatred of them does not even come near to the punishment they give themselves.

There is a continuum of 'sympathy'. I worked as a psychotherapist for years, and I can tell you from experience (as an empath as well - someone who literally "feels" others' pain and can intuit their feelings/motives)....

that being sympathetic to them doesn't help them. They really don't care. You can feel bad for them all you like, but it won't make them compassionate. It will just make YOU miserable.

I know. I've been there. It's painful.



posted on Oct, 2 2014 @ 03:19 PM
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a reply to: BuzzyWigs

It doesn't have anything to do with helping them, but helping yourself. If you feel hatred towards others then you are worse than the people you hate. Knowing that you can have sympathy for even the worst elements of humanity means that you will never have hatred for anyone.



posted on Oct, 2 2014 @ 05:50 PM
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a reply to: jcarmen


Knowing that you can have sympathy for even the worst elements of humanity means that you will never have hatred for anyone.

Yes, I know that. I am very much tuned in to how other people think, and I don't simply dismiss their ideas. But -- BUT, I have also been involved intimately with sociopaths, and I know that buying into their "pain" and manipulation is, well, painful.

It can be devastating, actually. Even for the most educated people in psychology, some of those sociopaths are simply dangerous.



posted on Oct, 2 2014 @ 05:53 PM
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a reply to: BuzzyWigs

The problem is approaching it from a psychological perspective when it should be approached from a philosophical perspective. Pills and medication or talking about someone's childhood is not going to fix anything. It takes personal spiritual dedication to overcome these flaws, and most people do not want to do that, so they are on their own. After someone starts to meditate then maybe a reflection on their psychological past experiences will have a positive effect.



posted on Oct, 2 2014 @ 05:55 PM
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a reply to: jcarmen


It takes personal spiritual dedication to overcome these flaws, and most people do not want to do that, so they are on their own.

YEP! You are exactly right.
People need to want to overcome their hurdles. Otherwise, no amount of therapy or meds will help them.

ETA: Welcome to ATS!

edit on 10/2/2014 by BuzzyWigs because: (no reason given)



posted on Oct, 2 2014 @ 05:59 PM
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a reply to: jcarmen


Pills and medication or talking about someone's childhood is not going to fix anything.

Okay, well here I will disagree.

T o help someone review their childhood actually has a LOT to do with fixing things , to discuss the reasons they "bought in" to the family system, and review their worldview is crucial to becoming mentally healthy.

TALKING, and also LISTENING, are very important skills for achieving mental health.



posted on Oct, 3 2014 @ 01:13 PM
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a reply to: EvillerBob


I should also point out that the "evil twinkle" and "wanting to demise the world for the fun of it" is not necessarily a trait of psychopathy, any more than it is a trait of sociopathy.

Then, what is it a "trait" of?



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