Well, no duh. Of course sociopaths/psychopaths have a brain abnormality. Anyone without a conscience has to have something seriously wrong with their brain, and it doesn't take a degree in neuroscience to figure that one out.
What caught my eye was the comment right below that one, written by an anonymous commenter who asks if it's possible for a sociopath to experience some form of love. Of course, this is a rhetorical question since a sociopath is incapable of truly loving another human being.
The comment goes on to explore whether or not a sociopath is "bad." And it's a fascinating comment. Interestingly, the writer asserts that it's irrelevant to think in terms of whether or not the sociopath is bad. Obviously, if you're the sociopath's victim, you'll believe him to be bad, most likely downright evil. But if you think along the lines of the sociopath, good vs. bad and right vs. wrong are completely irrelevant because "morality is concerned with how our actions affect others and human inter-relations." A sociopath's world is "devoid of feelings and human relations."
The above mentioned article in Scientific American Mind states that "One of the most striking peculiarities of psychopaths is that they lack empathy; they are able to shake off as mere tinsel the most universal social obligations. They lie and manipulate yet feel no compunction or regrets—in fact, they don’t feel particularly deeply about anything at all." So true. Sociopaths can't love another person since they can't feel anything on a deep emotional level at all.
Remember this like a mantra helps tremendously after breaking up with a sociopath.
Are sociopaths the same as psychopaths?
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this blog - it's very helpful.
Marc