Q: What are some of the characteristics of both sociopaths and psychopaths?
A: Psychopaths are known to be calm and organized even in the worst of circumstances, they are charming and a bit more manipulative than sociopaths and they can lead a seemingly normal life even if they have killed another. Sociopaths are manipulative and charming as well, prone to anger easily, and some, not all, can be more erratic and unable to lead much of a normal life due to their ASPD.
Q: Which are more dangerous?
A: To be truthful both are almost equally dangerous. Even though psychopaths are deemed more dangerous, a sociopaths, too, are apathetic and have no remorse or guilt for the actions they have done to their victim and/or to the people around them, even if they have permanently traumatized or hurt them. In the end, both types are largely disconnected from emotions, and while they are human beings and have emotions they tend to not address their emotions or feel them as much as a normal person.
Q: Can I spot or identify a sociopath or psychopath?
A: No, you cannot tell if someone is a sociopath or psychopath in broad daylight. Both come off as normal human beings just walking across the street but if you know them personally and have witnessed their actions if they seem threatening or controlling, no matter your relationship, and they make you feel unsafe you should most definitely remove them from your life. Another note is that these types may be hard to spot, especially psychopaths; not all psychopaths are murderers or criminals. Despite the popular perception most actually tend to be successful people.
Q: What is the difference?
A: Both types seem similar but they both have different terms. Sociopath is an unofficial term for those who may seem to have ASPD or Antisocial Personality Disorder. But that doesn’t mean that someone introverted and unfriendly is a sociopath! Now psychopathy is a neuropsychiatric disorder, psychopaths are usually people with a set of certain personality traits and they tend to have a lack of behavioral control. Both are classified as people with little or no conscience and have a limited ability to feel empathy and remorse which makes it easy to mix them up. Psychopaths can do social conventions when it suits their needs. Sociopaths, not so much. Honestly, doctors and experts can’t say the two are much different but certainly, they are not the same. Sociopaths and psychopaths are often mixed up but both fall on completely different places on the spectrum.
Q: Can they be, quote on quote, cured?
A: Unfortunately reality always catches up when it’s not wanted. Sociopathy and psychopathy is not a mental illness, they are a personality disorders. If the person wishes to try to get better they could learn to cope and hopefully learn right and wrong themselves. Sometimes as the individual grows the tendencies fade but never actually go away. These disorders cannot exactly be cured permanently but the individual can grow, learn, and cope with it.