To ask how many genuine sociopaths/psychopaths you've actually met?

[WillGymForPizza]

I strongly suspect that I'm working with someone who is possibly a sociopath. Obviously I'm not a psychiatrist so can't properly diagnose, but Ive met some dodgy and unlikable people in my time and this person takes it to a whole level. I genuinely believe her to be evil. She doesn't appear to have a moral compass and seems to take great pleasure in publicly humiliating her staff. They are all utterly terrified of her.

Most disturbingly of all I work in a Primary School and this person is this person is the headteacher....

How common is this kind of thing? Ive never come across anyone like this before.

My dad is a narcissist (properly diagnosed) I seem to be attracted to narcissist men as a result. I've dated one man who I believe crossed the line into sociopath.

MySisterTotallyIs

You could check meetup.com for support groups in your area, they have a few on there :)

I also worked with an orthopaedic surgeon who displayed sociopathic tendencies. I believe this to be common in that field. I swopped all my shifts so I didn't have to work with him. He was awful.

I think fil maybe one I'm not sure.
He doesn't seem to have any close relationships with anyone. Can only talk about Very limited subjects usually money. Costs.. budgets.
Never invites two way exchange. always him telling us.
He can't seem too understand feelings or emotions...or care much about them.

It's bizzare. He has Been cold after death of a close family member too me...

And is slippery...

HollySwift lol at the Theresa May comment, but I'm wondering if your DS attends our school? Her assemblies are like long monologues where she just rants at the staff and children about what ever bee she's got in her bonnet that particular moment in time. Then she gets narky when the little reception class kids get fidgety after about about 20 minutes of this drivel (they are 5, what do you expect you stupid cow?)

Someone mentioned upthread about personality disorders being more common in the young. Genuine question, how does that work, can it be grown out of or is it simply older people don't get diagnosed?

WillGym DS attends a junior so her youngest victims are ‘only’ 7, thankfully. It’s a church school (not my choice) so the monologues are... interesting apparently!

Please will someone tell me how to spot one?

You can't. Although a lot of MN'ers think they can because they've read The Psycopath Test and watched Dexter. True psychopathy is rare and the diagnostic process is extemely specialised. There's an awful lot of nonsense on this thread.

Psychopathy is a spectrum. Some people will have some, but not all of the traits of psychopathy. Not enough to qualify them as a full-blown psychopath, but enough to make your radar go into the red.

Genuine psychopaths often have a history of violence in childhood and are recklessly promiscuous and/or violent in adulthood. If you took a look at Robert Hare’s PCLR and had a go at scoring her, you’d probably find she scores a high number of traits. I have certainly me a few people in my career over the years who would score up near the threshold.

My estranged husband. I long to stand in front of him and tell him exactly what he is but i know better than to do it.

Without a doubt though I’m leading the better life and 99% of the time that’s all that matters to me.

I’m only human though.

Statistics and % are pointless as the majority are not diagnosed, so the true extent is not known.

Like someone else said its a spectrum.

One for definite
But considerably more, no doubt

I once worked for a narcissist. She almost completely destroyed me.
The staff turnover was huge - and these where educated professional people. I always thought that by being pleasant and rationale I could work with her but in the end I left.

What's the difference between a psychopath, narcissist and a sociopath?

I’d say I’ve met two genuine sociopaths. One was an older woman at the first place I ever worked. She was absolutely horrible, sneaky, vindictive, sabotaged others work, backstabbed I could go on all day. The 2nd was a girl I went to school with who mercilessly bullied other students and anyone else who befriended them was also in the firing line. She physically and emotionally hurt people and got of onnit. I met her 20 years later and she’s not changed. These days she’d be thrown out of school for sure.

itsbritneybiatches S

Ya'd be better off googling it.

I think what they have in common is more important (minimal empathy and general horridness). I don't think it specifically matters what kind of nasty-crazy you are dealing with, what matters is spotting the signs of a potential cluster b personality disorder asap and getting yourself away from them post haste.

Half the population of House of Commons and politicians in general

Most disturbingly of all I work in a Primary School and this person is this person is the headteacher

If you’re in a nice seaside town on the south coast then yes, she’s a psychopath!

Lots in a previous volunteer role but I have worked with a couple of people who I think would meet the criteria. Ex MIL too.

Agree with BuffaloCauliflower that Jon Ronson’s Psychopath Test is good. There’s another one called Snakes in Suits but I’ve not read that. Cary Cooper is another person highlighting the number of people with narcissistic and sociopathic traits who end up doing incredibly well at work. Probably only met about 5 sociopaths in my life but it is not unusual for very senior people to have sociopathic traits - think of famous business people where apparently nobody dares to confront them.

Are his initials RS, Betsy?

I think one of my ex colleagues was.
Screaming tantrums if things didn't go their way, complete lack of empathy, pathological liar. Horrible to watch, terrifying to be in the firing line.

I used to work in the city so met loads of them. Also worked with one really chilling one in a different context who is now head of an academy chain. He was different from the city boys. They were arseholes, for sure, but what you see is what you get. This other guy was a lot less straightforward. Superficially very charming but I observed him for a few years and he was always manipulating people, always looking at his next move both socially and professionally, chewing people up along the way and ultimately aligning himself with some very dodgy characters indeed in order to further himself.

My ex had lots of antisocial pd traits. He was violent, had been since he was a teen. He was very good socially, funny and charming but there wasn't anything underneath. He lied compulsively, and gaslit all the time. It was very damaging. Extremely manipulative.

One. She dated my brother in law. She used to kick him out of their home. She flipped out on him at our wedding on the patio. He eventually saw sense and dumped him.

She recently had a baby, accused her bf of abuse and he was arrested. He was arrested having his breakfast in a cafe in the high st. He drove to his hometown and committed suicide