Thanks to a significant interest in sociopathy in popular culture through film and literature, there’s been a stark rise in online searches around the term. What does it mean? Am I a sociopath? How do I know if my partner is one? It’s easy to fall down a rabbit hole of conflicting research and misinformation. We break down the biggest personality traits and characteristics that make up a sociopath, or someone with antisocial personality disorder, as it’s technically classified in the medical world.
But we before we dive in, a quick breakdown of a sociopath vs. a psychopath (a common source of confusion for casual searchers), according to Toronto-based psychotherapist Liza Finlay. “A sociopath, like a psychopath, is somebody who lacks empathy,” she explains. “The only difference is that a psychopath can pass as somebody who has empathy. They are still going to do what they want, get what they want, be deceitful and manipulative, but they can put a smile on their face and pass as a ‘regular’ person. There is a level of cunning that the sociopath doesn’t have.”
As for why people, specifically women, might search for the signs that they’re dating a sociopath, Finlay believes it all has to do with their partner’s behaviour. “I suspect it’s because there is a lot of gaslighting going on,” she says. A lot of ‘it’s not me, it’s you.’ People are searching because they have been made to doubt themselves. [Sociopathic behaviour] is designed to make you feel unbalanced.”
Here’s how to read the warning signs.
![They charm everyone in the room A young white heterosexual couple with the man hugging the woman from behind while she sips her drink](https://www.slice.ca/wp-content/themes/slice/assets/default_images_placeholder.png)
They charm everyone in the room
![They disregard your feelings A young Asian woman in bed looking out the window while her male partner is sound asleep beside her](https://www.slice.ca/wp-content/themes/slice/assets/default_images_placeholder.png)
They disregard your feelings
![They lack empathy for others A white man hunched over with laughter looking at his phone and leaning against a brick wall](https://www.slice.ca/wp-content/themes/slice/assets/default_images_placeholder.png)
They lack empathy for others
![They don’t have close friends or family A young white lesbian couple in bed together, one looking at the camera and the other asleep](https://www.slice.ca/wp-content/themes/slice/assets/default_images_placeholder.png)
They don’t have close friends or family
![They can be verbally, emotionally and physically abusive A young woman leans her head on her tattooed boyfriends shoulder while looking into the distance](https://www.slice.ca/wp-content/themes/slice/assets/default_images_placeholder.png)
They can be verbally, emotionally and physically abusive
![They lie a lot – and they’re really good at it A young woman alone in bed, running her hand through her hair in anger or frustration](https://www.slice.ca/wp-content/themes/slice/assets/default_images_placeholder.png)
They lie a lot – and they’re really good at it
![They bounce from job to job A young black man dressed in a suit and tie](https://www.slice.ca/wp-content/themes/slice/assets/default_images_placeholder.png)
They bounce from job to job
![They thrive off the misfortune of others A young white man in a jean jacket leans against a window sill and looks at his phone](https://www.slice.ca/wp-content/themes/slice/assets/default_images_placeholder.png)
They thrive off the misfortune of others
![They are impulsive A young shirtless homosexual couple posing together in front of a mirror](https://www.slice.ca/wp-content/themes/slice/assets/default_images_placeholder.png)
They are impulsive
![They tend to be serial cheaters A young white heterosexual couple sitting on a door stoop, the woman watching the man as he texts someone on his phone](https://www.slice.ca/wp-content/themes/slice/assets/default_images_placeholder.png)