Beware of the 10 Classic Signs of a Sociopath

Sociopaths might make good TV entertainment, but that’s probably about the limit.  

Are sociopaths dangerous? Since they have a pervasive disregard of the rights and feelings of others, they can be extremely manipulative, intimidating, aggressive, violent and dangerous. 

Male and female sociopath traits include resorting to outrageous actions, overstepping boundaries and breaking agreements.

Getting into repeated fights or assaults are also possible for someone with the personality traits of a sociopath. So, it’s best to take note of the early signs of sociopathic behavior, before things escalate to irreparable damage in such a relationship.

How common are sociopaths?

Encountering a sociopath in real life is nothing but tragic, and unfortunately, the chances of hooking up with a sociopath are high in general society, for example, three out of one hundred males are sociopaths.

So it makes sense to learn the signs of a sociopath so that you can protect yourself from heartache and difficulty in the future. Trust us when we warn you about sociopathic behaviors and characteristics of a sociopath. 

You don’t want to fall into the arms of a sociopath no matter how good looking and charming they are.

In this article, we bring to a comprehensive sociopath checklist that will help you identify signs of sociopathy, sociopath traits in males or females, and how to tell if someone is a sociopath. 

Here are some of the classic signs of a sociopath: 

1. They are charming

Of course, there are men and women out there who are not sociopaths but are also charming. 

If the person you are with seems to relish in the fact that they are charming and is utterly smooth, it doesn’t mean that they are a sociopath, but equally, it could mean that they are too.  

Look out for other signs of a sociopath to help you decide.  If however, you have a warning bell ringing, listen to it, there’s probably a reason.

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2. They have an enormous ego

One of the sociopath tendencies is to have an elephantine ego. So, how to recognize a sociopath?

They won’t hold back from telling you how smart, rich, attentive, and successful they are, and they won’t like it if their ego is knocked even slightly.

They might not express that they are unhappy if their ego has been knocked but if you pay attention to their expressions, you’ll see the repressed anger hiding underneath.

3. They are overly attentive

What are the signs of a sociopath? Someone with such an antisocial personality disorder is strangely attentive and observant. They also tend to get overly territorial about their object of affection.

One of the clear signs of a sociopath is that they are intense and overly attentive.  

They’ll contact you all the time in a variety of ways, they’ll want to spend all of your spare time with them, and they will not be impressed if you pass over their company for family, friends or anything else.  

Once again, they won’t necessarily tell you this but they might make you feel guilty, and if you look at their faces, they’ll be hiding the repressed anger. 

4. They blame others

What are the characteristics of a sociopath? They love to play the blame game. This is a good sign of a sociopath because it’s easy to spot.

In conversation you’ll start to notice that nothing is ever their fault, they’ll tell you stories about their past and will never say ‘I should have done this,’ or ‘I was wrong’. Never.  

And they never will for the rest of their life! 

5. They always have lies and gaps in their story

The answers to your questions about their past will sometimes be vague or embellished.

They might use guilt tactics or distraction to avoid answering questions if they don’t know you well.  

Along with other strategies such as blame and anger, they think they’ve locked you down to them. You’ll also probably find holes in their stories.  Pay attention to even the smallest holes don’t ignore them.

6. They give intense eye contact

Eye contact can be attractive, it can be a sign that somebody is in love with you but if they are staring at you intensely in a somewhat predatory way, that may make you feel a sense of unease.  

Make sure you listen to your spidey senses, something’s off!  

This is one of the signs of a sociopath that they really will struggle to hide. 

7. They move fast

They’ll fall in love with you quickly, and want to accelerate the relationship fast.

You’ll be moving in with them and even marrying them in no time at all if they have their say.  And they usually get their way. 

8. They want sympathy

You will feel sorry for their past, their current situation and pretty much anything else that they want you to feel sympathy for.

They are good at this, even if you think you will resist and still plan on seeing them, you won’t.

9. At some point, you’ll spot the anger beneath their eyes

Seriously check out their eyes, they cannot hide the anger for too long.  If it’s there run for the hills!

We’ve already highlighted this as one of the signs of a sociopath as a backup check in other situations.  

Even if they are saying everything, you want to hear and more, especially if they are making you feel whole, complete and that everything is going to be ok in the world.

If they are doing this, and are showing any other signs of a sociopath and you can see the anger lurking, it’s really not worth sticking around, don’t fall for it. 

10. They don’t appear to feel guilty

Unless a sociopath has learned to act the effects of the emotion of guilt they won’t show any. That’s one of the key sociopath signs.

They might laugh or say inappropriate things, hurt people, manipulate people in a way that most people wouldn’t and they won’t even blink an eye.  

It’s the same around animals too.

If a sociopath has learned that guilt is a sign of a sociopath, they may try to act it out, but the chances are they might not always recognize all of the appropriate times to display guilt.  

So, how to spot a sociopath in such a situation?

In this situation, give them enough time, and they’ll trip themselves up.

Don’t write off the signs of mental health issues 

Often mental health issues can start affecting individuals at the very onset of childhood. Sociopathic behavior in children is also not uncommon.

There are telltale signs of sociopathy in children.

Child sociopath symptoms include lack of remorse for lying, engagement in fights, throwing angry fits and acting in an alarmingly manipulative and authoritative way.

If you notice such an alarming behavior in a loved one, don’t simply write off these signs, presuming they will inevitably grow out of.

If you suspect your loved one may have any kind of personality disorder, seek timely expert help.

If you think a love relationship has toxic and is impairing your well-being, it’s best to walk out of the vicious circle of the master manipulator of charm and persuasion and start afresh.