Are We Just Moral Sociopaths?

[LuckyDuck]

Just to clear things up, there is no difference between a sociopath and a psychopath. Why? Because sociopathy was a term coined by G. E. Partridge. You want to talk real psychology terms? It's Psychopath. That's the only term. Sociopathy was coined to emphasize the disorder's social transgressions and nowadays got misappropriated.

 

[SinceAChildPTSD]

From my understanding, psychopaths do not have any empathy at all, and do bad just for the sake of "evil". A sociopath have bad thoughts, but ultimately have some empathy.

Anyways, based on what you guys told me, I am glad to realize that I am a "Selfish-but-moral" person and not a "sociopath" in any color.

 

[LuckyDuck]

I doubt you're a sociopath. You're a troll, that's it.

 

[Go Hungry]

Um.. no. No we aren't. I can kinda get the idea behind this question, if you mean.. Do we, as folks with PTSD, have trouble empathizing with other folks. I would say that yes, we can have that sort of trouble from time to time, as we can be consumed with our worries and miss out on the damage that we're doing to other folks around us.

But sociopaths are a different story. They just don't get, and don't care, about the consequences of their actions in the world. So they are most likely considered Evil beyond bounds. But to my understanding they can't really be considered good or evil, just extremely damaging. I have had plenty of that happen. I sometimes didn't know it was going on at the time, and sometimes didn't care. I could only see myself.

But the big difference is, that I can and do feel shame about those actions. When I see it happening, I stop. Sometimes I have had to just drop out of a social circle completely because I saw that I was only hurting the people around me. I don't want to do that sort of thing again. I do have empathy for those around me. Sociopaths don't.

Having known some sociopaths, and seen the damage they can do, my suggestion would be to RUN LIKE HELL.

 

[Go Hungry]

Oh, just read up above. They explained it much better than I did. I'd say at best that you are, as you said, a selfish-but-moral person. Almost everybody is.

Oh, but if you are a troll, please go away. Trolls suck.

 

[SinceAChildPTSD]

Oh, just read up above. They explained it much better than I did. I'd say at best that you are, as you said, a selfish-but-moral person. Almost everybody is.

Oh, but if you are a troll, please go away. Trolls suck.

Thanks for this. No, I was not trying to troll at all. I'm just a confused person with some mental disorders looking for answers. I thought that this forum was one of the more mature ones out there for people with mental disorders. I did not realize that I would be so easily labelled something for things that I did not even do.

Sorry for bringing things non related to PTSD into this forum.

 

[ihateusernames]

I'll respond as I understand the question:

Sociopaths can act in completely "moral" ways because it is beneficial to participate in a society based on a set of rules. As somebody mentioned, they may choose to rescue a drowning child, but it's not for the sake of the child. They aren't all evil and chaos, but that certainly doesn't mean good. I have a strong suspicion that my father was a sociopath, though deceased now and certainly never diagnosed. He was extremely successful, highly intelligent and well respected. Never in any legal trouble. But trust me, those things do not equal good.

Am I a sociopath because I happen to like myself better when I help other people? No, definitely not. I care what they get out of it, too. Are you a sociopath? I have no idea.

Although I'm not sure any of that answers what you're actually asking.

 

[Anarchy]

remember this is a person who denounced the idea of people being supported by government assistance, even though some would need it. And then in later life took all the assistance she could get. Nothing good can come from a twisted and manipulative mind like hers. You only had to watch the fanciful Atlas shrugged to see she was a complete Nut Job

I'm not well versed in Rand's philosophical work, but I doubt that all of her work, and the challenges it presents, can be dismissed or categorized on the basis of two examples.

What follows isn't aimed at anyone commenting here.

I have seen comments on other sites, dismissing Rand's ideas on the basis that she might have had BPD traits.

Hmmmm, Black and white thinking?

 

[joeylittle]

From my understanding, psychopaths do not have any empathy at all, and do bad just for the sake of "evil". A sociopath have bad thoughts, but ultimately have some empathy.

I think you are grasping literary definitions, not clinical ones. One of the most useful things for me, when I first joined the forum, was always searching the web for 'DSM' plus 'whatever I was looking for'. In this case, you'd specifically search "DSM V sociopath". You can add the word 'criteria', sometimes that narrows it even better.

It can get tricky when terms have lives both clinically and colloquially. On this site, we tend to be sticklers for the clinical side, just because the majority of us (I'm guessing) have spent a decent amount of time in the mental health system learning the terms.

Anti-Social Personality Disorder is the currently recognized diagnostic term. In the DSM V, a key element is purposeful lack of consideration, stated as:

A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others...

Disregard for and violation of, as a phrase, leaves no room for 'accidental' or 'implied' selfishness. The anti-socal type knows what they are doing and they are doing it on purpose with an intent to disregard or violate others' rights.

Make sense?