Oftentimes, we hear the words “sociopath” and “psychopath” used interchangeably when, in reality, they do not mean the same thing. While they have their similarities, they are not the same thing. It is also important to note that “sociopath” and “psychopath” are not diagnosable disorders that are listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Conscience
A psychopath tends to not have a conscience whatsoever. They do not feel guilt or remorse. If anything, they only pretend to. However, a sociopath may have a bit of a conscience. Even if they feel some guilt, they do not stop their behavior. Both of them tend to lack empathy – the psychopath having even less regard for others.
Violence
While the media portrays them as extremely violent or murderous, that is rarely ever the case. Some sociopaths or psychopaths – rather people with antisocial personality disorder – are violent, but most of them are not. It is not as common as the media sets it out to be. They are often just master manipulators.
Cold-Hearted VS. Hot-Headed
Psychopaths are described as cold-hearted because they are so good at pretending to mimic emotions and plotting their every move carefully, while sociopaths often act impulsively without thinking of what others think. They might even blame others for their behavior.
The Brain
Research shows that the brain of a psychopath is often quite different than that of others. They often do not fear consequences, and that tends to manifest itself physically. For example, while some people may get nervous when seeing blood – their heart beats faster and their breathing quickens – a psychopath actually experiences the opposite reaction – they become even calmer.