For example, they may tend to travel extensively and feel they deserve the best accommodations in planes and hotels. They expect others to drop what they are doing to respond to these constant contacts and only find it is their own schedule that matters. They stay very busy to ward off any boredom and a sense of emptiness.
They may do very kind things for others, especially in their professions, but it is not out of deep caring for others, but to be perceived that way.
They collect people who adore them excessively in this way. They are always on the look-out for being recognized. On their birthdays, or other days that highlight their importance as fathers, or husbands, they expect large gatherings that applaud them. Then they control these events by being at the center of all their guests.
On such occasions, it is a given to them that they are the star and will walk out on any crowd that is gathered on their behalf or give them the silent treatment if they feel any measure of disappointment. He is the captain of the ship and they are just the dutiful passengers affirming his greatness. The narcissist manipulates with gifts and conversation starters, only to come back to himself as the center. Key to differentiating the narcissist from the sociopath is that the sociopath cannot experience remorse and may be violent.
The sociopath, however, does have all the narcissistic characteristics above. Keep that in mind as you read the defining characteristics below.
The diagnostic statistical manual for mental health clinicians groups the sociopath and the psychopath together, called an anti-social personality. Neuroscientists also group them when looking at brain abnormalities, thus I will only discuss the findings about the brain when I explain characteristics of the psychopath.
Core Characteristics of the Psychopath. A major differentiated characteristic of the psychopath and sociopath is that the former is innate while the latter is environmental. Both have narcissistic characteristics. Clearly more research is and will be done in our century not only to alleviate the pain of those with these pathologies and the impact they have on others but also to discern the most effective criminal justice system.
However, it is vital to separate out the Narcissistic Personality Disorder from the Anti-Social Personality Disorder which includes sociopaths commonly affected early on by environmental influences and psychopaths commonly viewed as having innate abnormalities regardless of their environments.
Furthermore, the latter view about psychopaths is being contested in that if early characteristics of psychopaths are identified in childhood, with positive environmental influences, there may be some moderating effects.
Narcissism Narcissism means self-love which in itself is not pathological. That is, those with narcissistic personality disorders NPD tend to think and speak of themselves most of the time. They are very conscious of their physical appearance, wealth, talents or achievements of which there are often many, and they expect to hold your attention to these attributes as they speak.
However, these comments may tend to be exaggerated or at least overemphasized and are not necessarily accurate reflections of their whole lives. They have fantasies of greatness so that their minds tend to be filled with elaborate fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate.
Because of these imaginings, they feel they should have the best of everything—including houses, cars and clothing or other status-affirming things like their level of medical care and where they attend school.
Sadly, these wishes, or fantasies are a way for narcissists to fend off inner emptiness and shame and instead feel special and in control, avoiding feelings of defectiveness and insignificance. They require constant praise. Therefore, despite how outwardly confident narcissists may portray themselves, they are often quite vulnerable and insecure with fragile self-esteem.
To continually prop themselves up, they expect and thus, require near-constant attention, praise and admiration. They also may expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it. They experience a sense of entitlement feeling others ought to offer them special favors and fulfill their requests immediately without question.
They take advantage of others in misleading ways. That is, many people are naturally drawn to narcissists, finding them attractive, charismatic, and exciting and want to be a part of their lives, which the narcissist expects to be the result. Thus, most often people with NPD may not have any issues getting people to do what they want.
They are easily bored and seek constant entertainment whether their partner wants to participate or not. They are envious of others because of their low self-esteem and need to be superior to others. They relish being the center of attention thus narcissists need constant praise from others to feed their low self-esteem, and because they ironically feel superior to others at the same time, they crave attention and will often seek it out quite effectively.
Narcissists dominate conversations. They talk about themselves extensively and they exaggerate their knowledge and accomplishments. They lack empathy so they are unable to empathize with others or understand that others may have struggles of their own. They have boundless ambitions. That is, having goals or ambitions in life is a good thing, but narcissists make their dreams the center of their world and expect others to want for them what they want for themselves.
Because they feel superior to others and want to believe others find them naturally special, they often set endless ambitions for themselves. They are incredibly insecure.
This may be counterintuitive when you first meet a narcissist because they come across so charming, entitled, and believing they are superior to others, but people who suffer from narcissism are usually incredibly insecure which is why they feel the need to put others down.
They often speak of people who are liars, disloyal friends or co-workers, when they share the same characteristics that they are unconsciously denying.
They are remarkably charming. That is, upon first impression, narcissists come off as charming and confident, but as the relationship develops if they are no longer perceived that way, they become denigrating of others and sometimes verbally aggressive in an impulsive way. Narcissistic Personality Disorder NPD is a mental disorder with a pattern of behaviour characterised by in which people have an exaggerated sense of entitlement, an extreme need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others.
People with NPD tend to spend a disproportionate amount of time fantasising about achieving power and success and may be obsessed with their appearance. However, behind their front of total confidence is an incredibly fragile ego that is easily wounded by criticism. The person with narcissistic personality disorder usually cannot handle any form of criticism and has a tendency to belittle others in order to validate their own superiority. A lot of celebrities are considered narcissists.
Also known as a Grandiose Narcissists, this the type that most people think of when they hear the word "narcissist. They become noticeably bored when the topic of the conversation turns to anything but themselves, and don't like sharing the spotlight with others.
The irony is that while they see themselves as superior to most people, they are desperate to feel important. They are typically the easiest type to deal with as they have the strongest self-worth. Also known as Fragile or Closet Narcissists, they still feel as if they are superior to most people they meet; however, as introverts, they tend to shun the limelight.
They often try to attach themselves to special people instead of seeking special treatment themselves. They may try to get pity or manipulate others by being overly generous to gain the admiration and attention they need to appease their deep-seated insecurity. They have extremely fragile egos and are the more likely to lash out in a passive aggressive way if they are offended by you.
Also known as Toxic Narcissists, they are highly manipulative and exploitative. These narcissists have much less empathy than the other two major types and may also be a sociopath or psychopath. They have a viciousness that differentiates them from the other two major types. Their main goal is to dominate and control, and they will use deceit and aggression to accomplish it and show a lack of remorse for their actions.
They may get off on the suffering of others. Therapy is usually ineffective, as people with NPD frequently do not consider themselves to have a problem. About one per cent of people are affected. It appears more often in males than females and affects young people more than older people. Narcissistic Personality Disorder usually develops in childhood or early adulthood. Genuine symptoms of NPD remain consistent over time. While the terms psychopaths and sociopaths are often used in psychology, you won't find them in the Diagnostic Book of Mental Disorders, and doctors don't diagnose people as psychopaths or sociopaths.
Instead, they use the term Antisocial Personality Disorder. A sociopath is a person with Antisocial Personality Disorder. While sociopathy can only be diagnosed at the age of 18 or above, the following must be present before the age of 15 for the diagnosis:. Sociopaths have a conscience, although it's not very strong.
They know that stealing your money, for example, is wrong, and even might feel some guilt or remorse, but it won't stop their behaviour. Sociopaths make up around 4 per cent of the general population, so there are approximately , people in New Zealand who are sociopaths. Psychopathy is a more serious form of sociopathy with more symptoms. Therefore, all psychopaths are sociopaths, but all sociopaths are not necessarily psychopaths. A sociopath is not concerned with propping up their image, and will engage in games if it suits a larger objective being pursued.
A sociopath feels no remorse or empathy for anyone wronged by their actions and might even derive pleasure from doing so. This differs from the narcissist whose aim isn't directly to cause harm, but to appear as a grand personality. Because of the nature of their personality, a sociopath will find it difficult to maintain a job and will likely get in trouble with the authorities.
This is in contrast to a narcissist who always wants to appear on top of their game, and will maintain a role that keeps them looking successful. Both personalities may be calculating, but a sociopath may rank higher. They will act without regard to how anyone may view them, while narcissists ultimately need admiration and are very interested in the impression they leave on others.
In some cases, the lines may be blurred when attempting to distinguish between a narcissist and a sociopath. Both personalities have a noticeable lack of empathy when dealing with others. They are severely lacking in morality, and have no qualms about scheming against and controlling others to suit their agendas. To achieve their objectives, a sociopath or a narcissist can turn on the charm. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Neither a narcissist nor a sociopath is likely to seek treatment for their personality. This may change where they exhibit traits of a mental illness like depression, anxiety etc. However, psychotherapy techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy can help in managing symptoms. When a person exhibits traits of a narcissist or a sociopath, this usually means they are calculating, empathy-deficient, and put their own interests above those of others.
However, despite sharing similarities, these conditions are not the same. They are most likely to derive pleasure from their acts. Narcissists differ because their actions are usually targeted towards self-inflation, and any harm done to others is usually as a result of them pursuing some kind of goal. With serious cases leading to self-harm and harm to others, it's important to note that both personalities may be improved through consistent therapy over a period of time.
Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Behav Med. Mitra P, Fluyau D. Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Fisher KA, Hany M. Antisocial Personality Disorder. In: StatPearls.
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